Eight months’ jail for offering $1,000 ‘laisee’ to driving examiner
2012-9-27
A man, charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment at Kowloon City Magistracy for offering a $1,000 “laisee” to a driving examiner of the Transport Department (TD) for getting a pass in a driving test.
Cheung Yi-yit, 38, a casual construction worker, who was charged on Tuesday (September 25), today pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen said the court had to mete out an immediate custodial sentence to the defendant as bribing a public servant was a very serious offence.
The magistrate also reprimanded the defendant for impairing road safety should his corrupt deal have succeeded.
The court heard that in the afternoon of September 5 this year, the defendant attended a light goods vehicle driving test at the Chak On Road Driving Test Centre of TD.
After random allotment, a Driving Examiner II of TD was assigned to be the defendant’s driving examiner.
When the vehicle stopped at a red traffic light, the defendant took out a “laisee” and gave it to the TD driving examiner, saying that it was “tea money” for the latter.
The driving examiner asked the defendant to withdraw it, and told him that what he had done was against the law.
The court heard that despite the driving examiner’s refusal, the defendant offered the “laisee” to him on two other occasions during the driving test.
Upon arrival at the driving centre, the driving examiner reported the matter to his supervisor.
The case was then referred to the ICAC, resulting in the arrest of the defendant at the driving centre on the same day. The “laisee” containing a $1,000 banknote was recovered and seized from him.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that he had prepared the $1,000 “laisee” to bribe the driving examiner for letting him pass the driving test, the court was told.
TD had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during the investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Henry Lai.
Cheung Yi-yit, 38, a casual construction worker, who was charged on Tuesday (September 25), today pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen said the court had to mete out an immediate custodial sentence to the defendant as bribing a public servant was a very serious offence.
The magistrate also reprimanded the defendant for impairing road safety should his corrupt deal have succeeded.
The court heard that in the afternoon of September 5 this year, the defendant attended a light goods vehicle driving test at the Chak On Road Driving Test Centre of TD.
After random allotment, a Driving Examiner II of TD was assigned to be the defendant’s driving examiner.
When the vehicle stopped at a red traffic light, the defendant took out a “laisee” and gave it to the TD driving examiner, saying that it was “tea money” for the latter.
The driving examiner asked the defendant to withdraw it, and told him that what he had done was against the law.
The court heard that despite the driving examiner’s refusal, the defendant offered the “laisee” to him on two other occasions during the driving test.
Upon arrival at the driving centre, the driving examiner reported the matter to his supervisor.
The case was then referred to the ICAC, resulting in the arrest of the defendant at the driving centre on the same day. The “laisee” containing a $1,000 banknote was recovered and seized from him.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that he had prepared the $1,000 “laisee” to bribe the driving examiner for letting him pass the driving test, the court was told.
TD had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during the investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Henry Lai.