Voter jailed for bribery at Rural Representative Election
2015-11-19
A registered voter of the 2015 Rural Representative Election was today (Thursday) sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at the Tuen Mun Magistracy after admitting ICAC charges of accepting a bribe for her to vote for a particular candidate and get her mother to vote for the same candidate at the election.
Ho Ching-yi, 27, unemployed, today pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in corrupt conduct at an election, contrary to Section 11(1)(e) and Section 11(1)(g) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance respectively.
In passing the sentence, Magistrate Ms Ho Lai-ming said nothing was more important than upholding a clean society. Any offender who engaged in corrupt conduct at an election must be severely punished, otherwise the electoral system would collapse.
The magistrate said she reduced the starting point of three months in jail to two months after taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea and her remorse. She also ordered the defendant to make a payment of $4,000 to the court.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant, an indigenous inhabitant of Wong Nai Tun Tsuen in Shap Pat Heung, Yuen Long, was a registered voter of the 2015 Rural Representative (Indigenous Inhabitant Representative) Election for Wong Nai Tun.
The election held on January 18, 2015 was contested by two candidates – Ho Ting-yau (Candidate No. 1) and Ho Kwai-wah (Candidate No. 2). Ho Ting-yau defeated Ho Kwai-wah by 194 votes against 100 votes.
A day before the election, the defendant attended a dinner in a restaurant upon her aunt’s invitation. During the dinner, the defendant was given $4,000 by her aunt, who said it was for the defendant and her mother, $2,000 each, to vote for Candidate No. 1 at the election.
Towards the end of the dinner, the defendant was reminded by her aunt to vote for Candidate No. 1. An elder sister of Candidate No. 1, who later joined the dinner, thanked the defendant for doing so.
After the dinner, the defendant called to tell her mother of the matter. The defendant later passed $2,000 to her mother at home before the election.
The court heard that both the defendant and her mother voted at the election held on January 18, 2015.
On April 2, 2015, the defendant was arrested by ICAC officers. When interviewed under caution, the defendant admitted that she had received a total of $4,000 in cash, $2,000 for her and $2,000 for her mother, from her aunt.
The defendant also admitted that the $2,000 accepted by her was an inducement for her to vote for Candidate No. 1 and get her mother to vote for the same candidate at the election, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Justin Tung.
Ho Ching-yi, 27, unemployed, today pleaded guilty to two counts of engaging in corrupt conduct at an election, contrary to Section 11(1)(e) and Section 11(1)(g) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance respectively.
In passing the sentence, Magistrate Ms Ho Lai-ming said nothing was more important than upholding a clean society. Any offender who engaged in corrupt conduct at an election must be severely punished, otherwise the electoral system would collapse.
The magistrate said she reduced the starting point of three months in jail to two months after taking into account the defendant’s guilty plea and her remorse. She also ordered the defendant to make a payment of $4,000 to the court.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant, an indigenous inhabitant of Wong Nai Tun Tsuen in Shap Pat Heung, Yuen Long, was a registered voter of the 2015 Rural Representative (Indigenous Inhabitant Representative) Election for Wong Nai Tun.
The election held on January 18, 2015 was contested by two candidates – Ho Ting-yau (Candidate No. 1) and Ho Kwai-wah (Candidate No. 2). Ho Ting-yau defeated Ho Kwai-wah by 194 votes against 100 votes.
A day before the election, the defendant attended a dinner in a restaurant upon her aunt’s invitation. During the dinner, the defendant was given $4,000 by her aunt, who said it was for the defendant and her mother, $2,000 each, to vote for Candidate No. 1 at the election.
Towards the end of the dinner, the defendant was reminded by her aunt to vote for Candidate No. 1. An elder sister of Candidate No. 1, who later joined the dinner, thanked the defendant for doing so.
After the dinner, the defendant called to tell her mother of the matter. The defendant later passed $2,000 to her mother at home before the election.
The court heard that both the defendant and her mother voted at the election held on January 18, 2015.
On April 2, 2015, the defendant was arrested by ICAC officers. When interviewed under caution, the defendant admitted that she had received a total of $4,000 in cash, $2,000 for her and $2,000 for her mother, from her aunt.
The defendant also admitted that the $2,000 accepted by her was an inducement for her to vote for Candidate No. 1 and get her mother to vote for the same candidate at the election, the court was told.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Justin Tung.