Police Station Sergeant charged by ICAC with soliciting and accepting over $420,000 unauthorised loans from ex-colleagues and perversion
2022-5-10
The ICAC today (May 10) charged a Police Station Sergeant with soliciting and accepting unauthorised loans totalling over $420,000 from three former subordinates and a former supervisor, and perverting the course of public justice by inciting one of them to make a false statement to the Commission in respect of its investigation.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF). Upon completion of the investigation, the ICAC sought legal advice from the Department of Justice, which advised instigating a prosecution against the Police Station Sergeant.
Wong Chi-ming, 52, faces a total of 13 charges — eight of prescribed officer accepting an advantage and two of prescribed officer soliciting an advantage, all contrary to Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); one of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to Common Law; one of agent using document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Sections 9(3) of the POBO; and one of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.
The defendant was released on ICAC bail, pending his appearance in the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday (May 12) for mention.
The unauthorised loans-related and perversion offences allegedly took place between May 2020 and June 2021. In early December 2020, the defendant was posted to a Patrol Sub-Unit of Tin Sum Division. Prior to this posting, he was attached to a Patrol Sub-Unit of Kwai Chung Division.
Ten of the charges allege that the defendant, without the general or special permission of the Chief Executive, solicited two loans totalling $90,000 from a former subordinate Police Constable (PC) and a former supervisor, an Inspector of Police, in the Kwai Chung Division, and accepted eight loans totalling over $335,000 from two other former subordinate PCs in the Kwai Chung Division.
Another charge alleges that the defendant, with intent to pervert the course of public justice, incited, induced and instructed one of the above former subordinate PCs to make a false statement to the ICAC in respect of an investigation on the loans from the PC to him. The defendant had allegedly instructed the PC to conceal from the ICAC his loans.
The twelfth charge concerns the defendant’s application for early retirement. On December 17, 2018, the defendant applied for early retirement and re-employment on agreement terms by the HKPF. Under the relevant scheme, he was required to declare his financial obligations. The charge alleges that on the above date, the defendant, with intent to deceive his principal, used a declaration of financial obligation in the above application, which contained a false statement that he had no outstanding financial obligations, to mislead the HKPF. His application was subsequently approved and pension totalling over $2.5 million was released to him.
The remaining charge alleges that the defendant falsely represented to the Hong Kong Police Credit Union that he had not applied for loans from other banking or financial institutions, and with intent to defraud, induced the union to provide him a loan of over $80,000.
The HKPF has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF). Upon completion of the investigation, the ICAC sought legal advice from the Department of Justice, which advised instigating a prosecution against the Police Station Sergeant.
Wong Chi-ming, 52, faces a total of 13 charges — eight of prescribed officer accepting an advantage and two of prescribed officer soliciting an advantage, all contrary to Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); one of doing acts tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to Common Law; one of agent using document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to Sections 9(3) of the POBO; and one of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.
The defendant was released on ICAC bail, pending his appearance in the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday (May 12) for mention.
The unauthorised loans-related and perversion offences allegedly took place between May 2020 and June 2021. In early December 2020, the defendant was posted to a Patrol Sub-Unit of Tin Sum Division. Prior to this posting, he was attached to a Patrol Sub-Unit of Kwai Chung Division.
Ten of the charges allege that the defendant, without the general or special permission of the Chief Executive, solicited two loans totalling $90,000 from a former subordinate Police Constable (PC) and a former supervisor, an Inspector of Police, in the Kwai Chung Division, and accepted eight loans totalling over $335,000 from two other former subordinate PCs in the Kwai Chung Division.
Another charge alleges that the defendant, with intent to pervert the course of public justice, incited, induced and instructed one of the above former subordinate PCs to make a false statement to the ICAC in respect of an investigation on the loans from the PC to him. The defendant had allegedly instructed the PC to conceal from the ICAC his loans.
The twelfth charge concerns the defendant’s application for early retirement. On December 17, 2018, the defendant applied for early retirement and re-employment on agreement terms by the HKPF. Under the relevant scheme, he was required to declare his financial obligations. The charge alleges that on the above date, the defendant, with intent to deceive his principal, used a declaration of financial obligation in the above application, which contained a false statement that he had no outstanding financial obligations, to mislead the HKPF. His application was subsequently approved and pension totalling over $2.5 million was released to him.
The remaining charge alleges that the defendant falsely represented to the Hong Kong Police Credit Union that he had not applied for loans from other banking or financial institutions, and with intent to defraud, induced the union to provide him a loan of over $80,000.
The HKPF has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.