Former production director gets seven months for perverting justice
2013-6-17
A former director of an animation production house, charged by the ICAC, was today (Monday) sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment at the Kowloon City Magistracy for perverting the course of justice by supplying false employment contracts in support of his defence in an earlier trial.
Tse Kai-cheong, 49, formerly employed by Asia Animation Limited (AAL), today pleaded guilty to one count of doing an act tending and intending to pervert the course of justice.
In sentencing, Deputy Magistrate Ms Kelly Shui remarked that the perversion offence committed by the defendant was serious in nature and it could have interfered with the court ruling if the trial magistrate was misled by the false documents submitted to the court.
The deputy magistrate noted that the defendant’s jail term was reduced to seven months taking into account his guilty plea.
The court heard that between September and December 2004, the defendant, on behalf of AAL, signed employment contracts with a company and two other persons respectively for the production of an animation movie called “Storm Rider” .
In April 2005, the defendant submitted to AAL three additional bogus employment contracts which purportedly showed that their employment would be extended with payment of additional salaries.
The defendant was earlier charged in a separate case by the ICAC with three counts of agent using document to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and nine of using a false instrument.
During the trial, the defendant attempted to pervert the course of public justice by supplying to his legal representatives three signed additional employment contracts purported to be genuine in support of his defence in the case.
In September 2011, the defendant was convicted of all 12 offences after trial. The trial magistrate sentenced him to 18 months’ imprisonment and passed the three signed additional employment contracts to the ICAC for further enquiries.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Derek Lai, assisted by ICAC officer Gary Wong.
Tse Kai-cheong, 49, formerly employed by Asia Animation Limited (AAL), today pleaded guilty to one count of doing an act tending and intending to pervert the course of justice.
In sentencing, Deputy Magistrate Ms Kelly Shui remarked that the perversion offence committed by the defendant was serious in nature and it could have interfered with the court ruling if the trial magistrate was misled by the false documents submitted to the court.
The deputy magistrate noted that the defendant’s jail term was reduced to seven months taking into account his guilty plea.
The court heard that between September and December 2004, the defendant, on behalf of AAL, signed employment contracts with a company and two other persons respectively for the production of an animation movie called “Storm Rider” .
In April 2005, the defendant submitted to AAL three additional bogus employment contracts which purportedly showed that their employment would be extended with payment of additional salaries.
The defendant was earlier charged in a separate case by the ICAC with three counts of agent using document to deceive his principal, contrary to Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and nine of using a false instrument.
During the trial, the defendant attempted to pervert the course of public justice by supplying to his legal representatives three signed additional employment contracts purported to be genuine in support of his defence in the case.
In September 2011, the defendant was convicted of all 12 offences after trial. The trial magistrate sentenced him to 18 months’ imprisonment and passed the three signed additional employment contracts to the ICAC for further enquiries.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Derek Lai, assisted by ICAC officer Gary Wong.