Two more persons charged by ICAC over false COVID-19 jab records
2022-4-12
Following the prosecution of five persons for allegedly obtaining vaccination records by making false representations of having received COVID-19 vaccine doses, a member and a domestic helper of one of the families involved were also charged by the ICAC today (April 12) .
Upon further legal advice from the Department of Justice, Liu Kwok-hung, 67, construction worker; and Mary Ann Villeza Marcelo, 39, domestic helper, were charged today.
The duo and the five earlier charged now jointly face two amended charges of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. All defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance in the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 13) for plea.
One of the charges was preferred against Carmen Ho Ka-man, 34, registered nurse; Liu Hoi-yan, 42, and her mother Siu Hang-yee, 70, both housewives; Liu Kwok-hung, father of Liu Hoi-yan; and Marcelo, who works for the Lius.
Ho and two sisters from another family, Cheng Nga-yi, 30, and Cheng Sze-wai, 25, respectively private tutor and primary school teacher, also jointly face one count of conspiracy to defraud.
Since mid-January 2022, Quality HealthCare Medical Services Limited (QHMS) has been appointed by the Government to operate a CVC at Kowloon Bay Sports Centre for inoculating qualified citizens with BioNTech vaccine in light of the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Hong Kong. After inoculation, citizens would be issued vaccination records.
The alleged offences took place between January and late February this year. At the material time, Ho was engaged by QHMS to work at the above CVC as part-time inoculation nurse and was assigned to perform her duty at one of the booths. To avoid any possible conflict of interest situation, QHMS prohibited any CVC nurse from providing vaccination service to her family members or friends.
Starting from February 24, 2022, all persons aged 12 or above entering or remaining on specified premises are required to be vaccinated unless they are exempted. On February 20, 2022, which was four days before the Vaccine Pass arrangement came into full implementation, the Lius, Marcelo and the Chengs went to the above CVC and visited Ho’s booth. They were then issued vaccination records by Ho without getting vaccinated.
One of the amended charges alleges that Ho, the Lius and Marcelo conspired together to defraud the Department of Health (DH) by dishonestly and falsely representing that each of the Lius and Marcelo had received a dose of vaccine, thereby inducing the DH to issue the vaccination records of them.
Another amended charge alleges that Ho and the Chengs conspired together to defraud the DH to issue the vaccination records of the Chengs by a similar fraudulent means.
ICAC inquiries revealed that Liu Hoi-yan and Cheng Nga-yi are friends of Ho. They had separately told Ho their worries about the side effects of vaccination and the restricted access to a number of venues following the implementation of the Vaccine Pass arrangement. Supervisors of the CVC recovered six syringes containing unused vaccine from the sharp box in Ho’s booth for placing used vaccine syringes after the six co-defendants’ visits.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. QHMS, the DH and the Civil Service Bureau, which oversees the vaccination programme, have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
Upon further legal advice from the Department of Justice, Liu Kwok-hung, 67, construction worker; and Mary Ann Villeza Marcelo, 39, domestic helper, were charged today.
The duo and the five earlier charged now jointly face two amended charges of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law. All defendants were released on ICAC bail, pending their appearance in the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (April 13) for plea.
One of the charges was preferred against Carmen Ho Ka-man, 34, registered nurse; Liu Hoi-yan, 42, and her mother Siu Hang-yee, 70, both housewives; Liu Kwok-hung, father of Liu Hoi-yan; and Marcelo, who works for the Lius.
Ho and two sisters from another family, Cheng Nga-yi, 30, and Cheng Sze-wai, 25, respectively private tutor and primary school teacher, also jointly face one count of conspiracy to defraud.
Since mid-January 2022, Quality HealthCare Medical Services Limited (QHMS) has been appointed by the Government to operate a CVC at Kowloon Bay Sports Centre for inoculating qualified citizens with BioNTech vaccine in light of the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Hong Kong. After inoculation, citizens would be issued vaccination records.
The alleged offences took place between January and late February this year. At the material time, Ho was engaged by QHMS to work at the above CVC as part-time inoculation nurse and was assigned to perform her duty at one of the booths. To avoid any possible conflict of interest situation, QHMS prohibited any CVC nurse from providing vaccination service to her family members or friends.
Starting from February 24, 2022, all persons aged 12 or above entering or remaining on specified premises are required to be vaccinated unless they are exempted. On February 20, 2022, which was four days before the Vaccine Pass arrangement came into full implementation, the Lius, Marcelo and the Chengs went to the above CVC and visited Ho’s booth. They were then issued vaccination records by Ho without getting vaccinated.
One of the amended charges alleges that Ho, the Lius and Marcelo conspired together to defraud the Department of Health (DH) by dishonestly and falsely representing that each of the Lius and Marcelo had received a dose of vaccine, thereby inducing the DH to issue the vaccination records of them.
Another amended charge alleges that Ho and the Chengs conspired together to defraud the DH to issue the vaccination records of the Chengs by a similar fraudulent means.
ICAC inquiries revealed that Liu Hoi-yan and Cheng Nga-yi are friends of Ho. They had separately told Ho their worries about the side effects of vaccination and the restricted access to a number of venues following the implementation of the Vaccine Pass arrangement. Supervisors of the CVC recovered six syringes containing unused vaccine from the sharp box in Ho’s booth for placing used vaccine syringes after the six co-defendants’ visits.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. QHMS, the DH and the Civil Service Bureau, which oversees the vaccination programme, have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.