A shareholder of a restaurant was today (Monday) sentenced to five months' imprisonment for offering monthly "protection fees" totalling $16,000 to a Police Sergeant.

The ICAC has arrested 24 people, including 11 officers of the Architectural Services Department (ASD) and an engineer of the Building Department, in an operation commencing last Friday (December 14), for alleged corruption in relation to government mainte nance projects.

ICAC Commissioner Mr Alan Lai Nin had met with Dr Ye Feng, Director of Foreign Affairs Bureau, Supreme People's Procuratorate, during his recent visit to Hong Kong.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption today (Friday) launches a 24-hour election enquiry hotline to tie in with the commencement of the nomination for the Election Committee subsectors by-elections.

A jailed former policeman was today (Thursday) ordered by the District Court to serve an additional 10 months and 28 days for accepting a bribe to arrange for fixing a burglary case and selling dutiable brandy in a separate case.

A Mainland-funded company director and a merchant were today (Wednesday) charged by the ICAC for their alleged involvement in a $14 million Letters of Credit (L/C) fraud, and brought to Kowloon City Court this afternoon.

A former executive of a computer products manufacturer, who was earlier extradited from Canada for a HK$3 million embezzlement scam, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment at District Court today (Tuesday).

A former resident engineer, charged by the ICAC for allegedly accepting advantages including free trips and nightclub entertainment in connection with a piling scam at a residential building project at Tung Chung Station, appeared in Tsuen Wan Court today (Tuesday).

The Court of First Instance has issued a warrant for the arrest of a woman charged by the ICAC in connection with an alleged $134 million Letters of Credit (L/C) fraud involving Guangnan (Holdings) Limited (Guangnan).

In response to press enquiries, an ICAC spokesman today (Saturday) confirmed that in a joint operation, the ICAC and the Police had arrested a total of 53 persons for their suspected involvement in a number of alleged “staged arrests” at an illegal gambling stall in Kwun Tong.