Policeman gets 15 months for misconduct over leakage of confidential information
2014-11-18
A Police Constable (PC), charged by the ICAC, was today (Tuesday) sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment at the District Court for misconduct in public office by disclosing to another PC confidential information on a Police investigation relating to illegal bookmaking.
Lue Chun-cheung, 37, was earlier found guilty of one count of misconduct in public office, contrary to Common Law.
In sentencing, Judge Mr Frankie Yiu Fun-che said the offence of misconduct in public office committed by the defendant was serious in view of his leaking confidential information.
The judge said the starting point of 18 months in jail was reduced to 15 months after taking into account various mitigating factors, including the defendant’s clear record and his 10-year service with the Police.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Police. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above misconduct offence.
The court heard that at the material time, Lue was a PC attached to the Financial Investigation Division of Narcotics Bureau (FI/NB) of the Police.
Before being posted to the FI/NB, Lue was attached to a patrol sub-unit of North Point Division where he got acquainted with PC Chung Hin-lok.
In 2012, Lue participated in an investigation by the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau regarding two suspects for alleged illegal bookmaking.
Lue received a confidential folder containing a piece of document with names of 10 companies on October 17, 2012, and was tasked to enquire with one of the two suspects concerning the background of the 10 companies when the suspect reported bail on the fo llowing day, the court heard.
On October 18, 2012, before the suspect reported bail, Lue took photographs of the document by his mobile phone and sent them to Chung with the word “Confidential” obliterated.
Lue and Chung were arrested by ICAC officers on October 19, 2012, with several mobile phones seized from them. The original of the obliterated document was recovered from the office of Lue.
The Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Beney Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Natasha Li.
Lue Chun-cheung, 37, was earlier found guilty of one count of misconduct in public office, contrary to Common Law.
In sentencing, Judge Mr Frankie Yiu Fun-che said the offence of misconduct in public office committed by the defendant was serious in view of his leaking confidential information.
The judge said the starting point of 18 months in jail was reduced to 15 months after taking into account various mitigating factors, including the defendant’s clear record and his 10-year service with the Police.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Police. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above misconduct offence.
The court heard that at the material time, Lue was a PC attached to the Financial Investigation Division of Narcotics Bureau (FI/NB) of the Police.
Before being posted to the FI/NB, Lue was attached to a patrol sub-unit of North Point Division where he got acquainted with PC Chung Hin-lok.
In 2012, Lue participated in an investigation by the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau regarding two suspects for alleged illegal bookmaking.
Lue received a confidential folder containing a piece of document with names of 10 companies on October 17, 2012, and was tasked to enquire with one of the two suspects concerning the background of the 10 companies when the suspect reported bail on the fo llowing day, the court heard.
On October 18, 2012, before the suspect reported bail, Lue took photographs of the document by his mobile phone and sent them to Chung with the word “Confidential” obliterated.
Lue and Chung were arrested by ICAC officers on October 19, 2012, with several mobile phones seized from them. The original of the obliterated document was recovered from the office of Lue.
The Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Beney Wong, assisted by ICAC officer Natasha Li.