Medical officer jailed for $2.25m housing allowances fraud
2011-6-29
A Medical and Health Officer, charged by the ICAC, was today (Wednesday) sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment at the District Court for using false documents to deceive Private Tenancy Allowances (PTA) totalling over $2.25 million from the Hong Kong Government.
Yuen Kai-tak, 47, was also ordered by Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong to pay over $2.25 million in restitution to the government.
The defendant was earlier found guilty of five counts of agent using document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The court heard that at the time of the offences, the defendant, who was attached to Tuen Mun Hospital, was entitled to claim PTA.
In June 1990, the defendant made an agreement with a colleague in relation to the purchase of a property in Pat Heung, Yuen Long. Upon the defendant’s request, his colleague agreed to be the nominal owner of the property and obtained a mortgage from a bank.
Afterwards, the defendant purportedly rented the property from his colleague, and deposited mortgage repayments into his colleague’s bank account on a monthly basis, the court heard.
Between July 1990 and July 1998, the defendant submitted five applications for PTA in relation to his renting of the property.
On the application forms, the defendant, with intent to mislead the government, declared that the property was not owned by him or his relatives, and that neither he nor his relatives had a financial interest in it.
Having approved all his PTA applications, the government had granted him PTA amounting to over $2.25 million between August 1, 1990 and July 31, 2000.
The court heard that the defendant arranged for the sale of the property in September 2006. Upon the defendant’s request, his colleague disbursed the proceeds of the sale of the property to four persons.
Had the government known that the defendant, in fact, owned the property or had a financial interest in it, it would not have approved his PTA applications, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Giles Surman, assisted by ICAC officer William Leung.
Yuen Kai-tak, 47, was also ordered by Judge Douglas Yau Tak-hong to pay over $2.25 million in restitution to the government.
The defendant was earlier found guilty of five counts of agent using document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The court heard that at the time of the offences, the defendant, who was attached to Tuen Mun Hospital, was entitled to claim PTA.
In June 1990, the defendant made an agreement with a colleague in relation to the purchase of a property in Pat Heung, Yuen Long. Upon the defendant’s request, his colleague agreed to be the nominal owner of the property and obtained a mortgage from a bank.
Afterwards, the defendant purportedly rented the property from his colleague, and deposited mortgage repayments into his colleague’s bank account on a monthly basis, the court heard.
Between July 1990 and July 1998, the defendant submitted five applications for PTA in relation to his renting of the property.
On the application forms, the defendant, with intent to mislead the government, declared that the property was not owned by him or his relatives, and that neither he nor his relatives had a financial interest in it.
Having approved all his PTA applications, the government had granted him PTA amounting to over $2.25 million between August 1, 1990 and July 31, 2000.
The court heard that the defendant arranged for the sale of the property in September 2006. Upon the defendant’s request, his colleague disbursed the proceeds of the sale of the property to four persons.
Had the government known that the defendant, in fact, owned the property or had a financial interest in it, it would not have approved his PTA applications, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Giles Surman, assisted by ICAC officer William Leung.