Ex-Senior Police Constable jailed for $55,000 loans fraud
2020-6-24
A former Senior Police Constable, charged by the ICAC, was today (June 24) sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts after admitting that he had defrauded three Police Constables of five loans totalling over $55,000.
Lam Chung-man, 50, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance. The prosecution offered no evidence to three similar charges against him.
In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen reprimanded the defendant for abusing the trust placed on him by his colleagues and bringing the police into disrepute.
Although there was no evidence that the defendant had misused his public office, an immediate custodial sentence was proper in view of the serious nature of the offences involved, the magistrate added.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by Police. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Senior Police Constable posted to a Patrol Sub-unit of Sham Shui Po Division. In 2016, the defendant came to know three Police Constables who also worked in the same Patrol Sub-unit.
On five occasions between May 2 and 9, 2018, the defendant respectively phoned the three Police Constables and falsely claimed that he needed money to pay for his mother’s medical expenses in the Mainland.
Believing in the defendant’s representations, the three Police Constables transferred five loans ranging from over $5,000 to $20,000, totalling over $55,000, to bank accounts of the defendant.
The court heard that the defendant’s mother had not left Hong Kong since 2009. When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that his mother had never received any medical treatment in the Mainland.
Had the three Police Constables known that the defendant’s mother was not required to undergo any urgent medical treatment in the Mainland, they would not have offered those loans to the defendant.
Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by solicitor Sanny Kwong, assisted by ICAC officer Dominic Sung.
Lam Chung-man, 50, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance. The prosecution offered no evidence to three similar charges against him.
In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen reprimanded the defendant for abusing the trust placed on him by his colleagues and bringing the police into disrepute.
Although there was no evidence that the defendant had misused his public office, an immediate custodial sentence was proper in view of the serious nature of the offences involved, the magistrate added.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by Police. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Senior Police Constable posted to a Patrol Sub-unit of Sham Shui Po Division. In 2016, the defendant came to know three Police Constables who also worked in the same Patrol Sub-unit.
On five occasions between May 2 and 9, 2018, the defendant respectively phoned the three Police Constables and falsely claimed that he needed money to pay for his mother’s medical expenses in the Mainland.
Believing in the defendant’s representations, the three Police Constables transferred five loans ranging from over $5,000 to $20,000, totalling over $55,000, to bank accounts of the defendant.
The court heard that the defendant’s mother had not left Hong Kong since 2009. When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers, the defendant admitted that his mother had never received any medical treatment in the Mainland.
Had the three Police Constables known that the defendant’s mother was not required to undergo any urgent medical treatment in the Mainland, they would not have offered those loans to the defendant.
Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by solicitor Sanny Kwong, assisted by ICAC officer Dominic Sung.