Officer of EDB charged with dishonest access to school places allocation computer system
2020-9-3
An Education Officer of the Education Bureau (EDB) has been charged by the ICAC today (September 3) with accessing to EDB’s computer system dishonestly for information related to his son’s Secondary School Places Allocation (SSPA).
Pang Wai-kit, 57, faces 10 counts of accessing to computer with criminal or dishonest intent, contrary to Section 161(1)(c) of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendant will appear in the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (September 7) for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the EDB. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
The “Education Information System” is the central computer system of the EDB comprising two databases—the “Student Information Management Application” (STM) and the “Secondary One Allocation” (SOA).
The STM contains personal particulars of all student applicants of the SSPA while the SOA is the database for processing allocations of Secondary One places. Access to data in the two databases is restricted and EDB officers should not obtain access to those databases unless their duties required them to do so.
At the material time, the defendant was an Education Officer of the EDB posted to the School Places Allocation Section. His main duties included administering and operating the STM.
In August 2016, the defendant declared to the EDB that his son, who was a student of a primary school in Lam Tin, was a student applicant of the SSPA 2015/2017 cycle. The defendant’s supervisor informed him not to obtain access to the EDB computer databases for information relating to his son’s application and information relating to the allocation results.
The charges allege that on 10 occasions between August 15, 2016 and September 18, 2017, the defendant obtained access to the aforesaid “Education Information System” of the EDB holding the SOA database with a view to dishonest gain for himself or another.
It is alleged that the defendant obtained access to the SOA for internal assessment results in relation to his son’s SSPA application.
The EDB has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance next Monday.
Pang Wai-kit, 57, faces 10 counts of accessing to computer with criminal or dishonest intent, contrary to Section 161(1)(c) of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendant will appear in the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts next Monday (September 7) for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the EDB. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
The “Education Information System” is the central computer system of the EDB comprising two databases—the “Student Information Management Application” (STM) and the “Secondary One Allocation” (SOA).
The STM contains personal particulars of all student applicants of the SSPA while the SOA is the database for processing allocations of Secondary One places. Access to data in the two databases is restricted and EDB officers should not obtain access to those databases unless their duties required them to do so.
At the material time, the defendant was an Education Officer of the EDB posted to the School Places Allocation Section. His main duties included administering and operating the STM.
In August 2016, the defendant declared to the EDB that his son, who was a student of a primary school in Lam Tin, was a student applicant of the SSPA 2015/2017 cycle. The defendant’s supervisor informed him not to obtain access to the EDB computer databases for information relating to his son’s application and information relating to the allocation results.
The charges allege that on 10 occasions between August 15, 2016 and September 18, 2017, the defendant obtained access to the aforesaid “Education Information System” of the EDB holding the SOA database with a view to dishonest gain for himself or another.
It is alleged that the defendant obtained access to the SOA for internal assessment results in relation to his son’s SSPA application.
The EDB has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance next Monday.