Five more jailed for vote-rigging at DC Election
2012-8-28
Five registered electors, charged by the ICAC, were today (Tuesday) each jailed for two months at Kowloon City Magistracy for vote-rigging in relation to the 2011 Yau Tsim Mong District Council (DC) Election (King’s Park Constituency) following 13 others sentenced for their roles in the election.
The defendants were Tang Sui-kay, 40, Luk Kong-shing, 54, Ho King-cheung, 65, all waiters; Chan Chung-lung, 53, and Chan Yuet-sang, 39, both cooks.
They each pleaded guilty earlier to one count of engaging in corrupt conduct with respect to voting at election, contrary to Section 16(1)(b)(i) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.
In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen said custodial sentences were appropriate for the defendants as vote-rigging was a very serious offence.
The magistrate added that the starting point of three months’ imprisonment was reduced to two months, taking into account their guilty pleas.
The court heard that on July 16, 2011, the defendants submitted to the Registration and Electoral Office their applications for registration as electors at the DC Election.
In their applications, the defendants stated that a flat in Foo Tat Building, 50 Soy Street, Mongkok was their only or principal residential address.
The occupant of the address confirmed that the flat had been used for operating his shoes trading business and that he did not know the defendants. In fact, the defendants resided elsewhere in Kowloon and the New Territories.
Examination of the marked copies of the register confirmed that on the polling day on November 6, 2011, the defendants obtained ballot papers and voted at the DC Election after having given to the electoral officer information that they knew to be materia lly false or misleading, the court was told.
So far, a total of 51 persons have been prosecuted in relation to the 2011 Yau Tsim Mong DC Election (King’s Park Constituency).
Apart from the above five defendants, 13 others, who earlier pleaded guilty to their respective charges, were each sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, with three having their jail terms suspended.
Of the remaining 33 defendants, the prosecution had offered no evidence against three, while the remaining 30 who denied their charges will be tried at Kowloon City Magistracy or Eastern Magistracy in separate cases between September 3 and November 5.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Jones Tsui, assisted by ICAC officer Chris Ng.
The defendants were Tang Sui-kay, 40, Luk Kong-shing, 54, Ho King-cheung, 65, all waiters; Chan Chung-lung, 53, and Chan Yuet-sang, 39, both cooks.
They each pleaded guilty earlier to one count of engaging in corrupt conduct with respect to voting at election, contrary to Section 16(1)(b)(i) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance.
In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen said custodial sentences were appropriate for the defendants as vote-rigging was a very serious offence.
The magistrate added that the starting point of three months’ imprisonment was reduced to two months, taking into account their guilty pleas.
The court heard that on July 16, 2011, the defendants submitted to the Registration and Electoral Office their applications for registration as electors at the DC Election.
In their applications, the defendants stated that a flat in Foo Tat Building, 50 Soy Street, Mongkok was their only or principal residential address.
The occupant of the address confirmed that the flat had been used for operating his shoes trading business and that he did not know the defendants. In fact, the defendants resided elsewhere in Kowloon and the New Territories.
Examination of the marked copies of the register confirmed that on the polling day on November 6, 2011, the defendants obtained ballot papers and voted at the DC Election after having given to the electoral officer information that they knew to be materia lly false or misleading, the court was told.
So far, a total of 51 persons have been prosecuted in relation to the 2011 Yau Tsim Mong DC Election (King’s Park Constituency).
Apart from the above five defendants, 13 others, who earlier pleaded guilty to their respective charges, were each sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, with three having their jail terms suspended.
Of the remaining 33 defendants, the prosecution had offered no evidence against three, while the remaining 30 who denied their charges will be tried at Kowloon City Magistracy or Eastern Magistracy in separate cases between September 3 and November 5.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Jones Tsui, assisted by ICAC officer Chris Ng.