A Police Constable (PC) has been charged by the ICAC today (Monday) for alleged misconduct in public office by disclosing to another PC confidential information on a Police investigation related to an offence of illegal bookmaking.

Lue Chun-cheung, 36, faces one count of misconduct in public office, contrary to Common Law.

The defendant will appear in the Eastern Magistracy at 9:30 am on Wednesday (March 26) for transfer to the District Court for plea.

The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF). Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged misconduct offence.

At the material time, the defendant was a PC attached to the Financial Investigation Division of Narcotics Bureau (FI/NB) of the HKPF. In 2012, the defendant participated in an investigation with the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) into two of th e suspects for alleged illegal bookmaking.

The charge alleges that between July 1 and October 18, 2012, the defendant, in the course of or in relation to his public office, willfully and intentionally culpably misconducted himself by dishonestly disclosing confidential information to another PC, k nowing that the PC would pass the information to the two suspects and permitting the PC to do so.

The confidential information included:

the two persons were under investigation as suspects by the FI/NB;

the case being investigated related to the offence of illegal bookmaking and that the OCTB was also involved in the investigation;

the investigation of FI/NB in the case focused on the companies owned by the suspects in that case;

when the two suspects were to report for bail on October 18, 2012, they would be asked questions concerning some companies in Hong Kong and some companies in Mainland China; and

the names of the companies and their bank accounts to which the two suspects would be asked about when they were to report bail on October 18, 2012.

The HKPF had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.