A Senior Station Officer (SSO) of the Fire Services Department (FSD) has been charged by the ICAC with perverting public justice by failing to prosecute a restaurant for obstructing its means of escape and concealing the commission of such an offence.

Lee Ship, 39, who was charged yesterday (Wednesday), faces one count of doing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to Common Law.

The defendant will appear in the Eastern Magistracy at 9:30 am tomorrow (Friday) for plea.

The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the FSD. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offence.

At the material time, the defendant was a SSO posted to the Building Improvement Division under the Fire Safety Command of the FSD. She was tasked to handle a complaint about obstruction of means of escape at a restaurant.

The charge alleges that on April 2, 2013, the defendant did an act which had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice.

The defendant is alleged to have submitted a memorandum to the Hong Kong and Kowloon West Fire Protection Regional Office of the FSD, reporting that no floating obstruction was found by her at the restaurant during her inspection on March 31, 2013; no leg al action could be taken in respect of the restaurant by the FSD; and no further action was suggested.

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

The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending her court appearance tomorrow.