Four more jailed for vote-rigging at DC Election
2012-9-3
Four registered electors, charged by the ICAC, were today (Monday) 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 18 others sentenced for their roles in the election.
Yip Chi-keung, 57, Ho Siu-ping, 58, Cheung Ming, 52, all waiters, and Leung Ho-kwong, 40, a cook, who were scheduled to stand trial today, changed their pleas to guilty.
The defendants each pleaded guilty 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, Deputy Magistrate Mr Ko Wai-hung said the defendants committed vote-rigging offences of a serious nature, thus warranting deterrent jail sentences.
The deputy magistrate said the sentencing conveyed a message to members of the public that the court had to safeguard a clean and fair electoral system, particularly in view of the keen competition in the forthcoming Legislative Council Election.
The deputy magistrate added that the starting point of three months in jail was reduced to two months, taking into account their guilty pleas.
Upon the applications of the defendants, the deputy magistrate granted them cash bail of $5,000 each, pending their appeals against sentences.
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 Hung Fai Building, 2Q-2Z Tung Choi Street, Mongkok was their only or principal residential address.
The owners and occupants of the address confirmed that the flat was mainly used for storing goods and that they did not know the defendants. In fact, Cheung had been residing in Shenzhen for 20 years, while the co-defendants resided elsewhere in Kowloon.
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 four defendants, 18 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 29 defendants, the prosecution had offered no evidence against three, while the remaining 26 who denied their charges will be tried at Kowloon City Magistracy or Eastern Magistracy in separate cases between September 10 and November 5.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Felix Tam, assisted by ICAC officer Beta Leung.
Yip Chi-keung, 57, Ho Siu-ping, 58, Cheung Ming, 52, all waiters, and Leung Ho-kwong, 40, a cook, who were scheduled to stand trial today, changed their pleas to guilty.
The defendants each pleaded guilty 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, Deputy Magistrate Mr Ko Wai-hung said the defendants committed vote-rigging offences of a serious nature, thus warranting deterrent jail sentences.
The deputy magistrate said the sentencing conveyed a message to members of the public that the court had to safeguard a clean and fair electoral system, particularly in view of the keen competition in the forthcoming Legislative Council Election.
The deputy magistrate added that the starting point of three months in jail was reduced to two months, taking into account their guilty pleas.
Upon the applications of the defendants, the deputy magistrate granted them cash bail of $5,000 each, pending their appeals against sentences.
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 Hung Fai Building, 2Q-2Z Tung Choi Street, Mongkok was their only or principal residential address.
The owners and occupants of the address confirmed that the flat was mainly used for storing goods and that they did not know the defendants. In fact, Cheung had been residing in Shenzhen for 20 years, while the co-defendants resided elsewhere in Kowloon.
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 four defendants, 18 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 29 defendants, the prosecution had offered no evidence against three, while the remaining 26 who denied their charges will be tried at Kowloon City Magistracy or Eastern Magistracy in separate cases between September 10 and November 5.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Felix Tam, assisted by ICAC officer Beta Leung.