Mortuary attendants jailed for accepting bribes from funeral service providers
2010-10-13
Two serving and one retired mortuary attendants of a public hospital, charged by the ICAC, were today (Wednesday) sent to jail at Tuen Mun Magistracy for conspiracy to accept over $538,000 in bribes from some funeral service providers for giving preferent ial treatment to them.
Shing Keung-foo, 55, and Lai Chi-wai, 50, both mortuary attendants of Tuen Mun Hospital, were jailed for 18 months and 15 months respectively by Deputy Magistrate Ms Amy Chan Wai-mun, while Sit Man-kui, 65, a retired mortuary attendant of Tuen Mun Hospita l, received a jail term of 14 months.
Shing and Lai were also ordered to pay $178,000 and $207,000 respectively as restitution to the government. Sit was required to pay $153,000 to the government.
The defendants were earlier found guilty of a joint charge of public servants conspiring to accept advantages, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The court heard that at the time of the offence, Shing, Lai and Sit were mortuary attendants of the Mortuary Unit of Tuen Mun Hospital.
When another mortuary attendant Ip Ping-chuen was posted to the hospital in April 2005, Shing told him that some funeral service providers had offered advantages to them.
In return, they placed dead bodies at better positions at the mortuary, arranged for the funeral service providers to claim and remove the dead bodies from the mortuary before office hours, and took extra care of the dead bodies.
Shing also said he would collect the bribe payments offered by the funeral service providers, and share the monies with other mortuary attendants on a monthly basis.
Having agreed to join the scam, Ip shared the corrupt proceeds with Shing, Lai, Sit and another mortuary attendant Lam Kwok-choi. They each shared about $1,000 to $4,000 per month.
Between June 1992 and June 2007, Shing and Lai received over $178,000 and $207,000 in bribes respectively from the funeral service providers, while Sit shared corrupt proceeds totalling more than $153,000, the court was told.
Ip, 51, and Lam, 63, were also charged by the ICAC for their involvement in the case. Ip earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of public servant conspiring to accept advantages. Lam admitted one count of similar offence.
Ip received a jail term of three months, while Lam was jailed for five months. Ip and Lam were also ordered to pay $54,000 and $51,600 respectively as restitution to the government.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Diana Cheung, assisted by ICAC officer Ellen Tong.
Shing Keung-foo, 55, and Lai Chi-wai, 50, both mortuary attendants of Tuen Mun Hospital, were jailed for 18 months and 15 months respectively by Deputy Magistrate Ms Amy Chan Wai-mun, while Sit Man-kui, 65, a retired mortuary attendant of Tuen Mun Hospita l, received a jail term of 14 months.
Shing and Lai were also ordered to pay $178,000 and $207,000 respectively as restitution to the government. Sit was required to pay $153,000 to the government.
The defendants were earlier found guilty of a joint charge of public servants conspiring to accept advantages, contrary to Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The court heard that at the time of the offence, Shing, Lai and Sit were mortuary attendants of the Mortuary Unit of Tuen Mun Hospital.
When another mortuary attendant Ip Ping-chuen was posted to the hospital in April 2005, Shing told him that some funeral service providers had offered advantages to them.
In return, they placed dead bodies at better positions at the mortuary, arranged for the funeral service providers to claim and remove the dead bodies from the mortuary before office hours, and took extra care of the dead bodies.
Shing also said he would collect the bribe payments offered by the funeral service providers, and share the monies with other mortuary attendants on a monthly basis.
Having agreed to join the scam, Ip shared the corrupt proceeds with Shing, Lai, Sit and another mortuary attendant Lam Kwok-choi. They each shared about $1,000 to $4,000 per month.
Between June 1992 and June 2007, Shing and Lai received over $178,000 and $207,000 in bribes respectively from the funeral service providers, while Sit shared corrupt proceeds totalling more than $153,000, the court was told.
Ip, 51, and Lam, 63, were also charged by the ICAC for their involvement in the case. Ip earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of public servant conspiring to accept advantages. Lam admitted one count of similar offence.
Ip received a jail term of three months, while Lam was jailed for five months. Ip and Lam were also ordered to pay $54,000 and $51,600 respectively as restitution to the government.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Diana Cheung, assisted by ICAC officer Ellen Tong.