Five charged by ICAC with perversion and money laundering over crimes arranged for tipoff by inmates for sentence reduction
2024-3-5
Five people were charged by the ICAC yesterday and today (March 4 and 5) with conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice and laundering crime proceeds totalling $319,500 in an investigation whereby an inmate of Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre (LCKRC) and his associates were allegedly to have arranged two crimes involving possession of unlawful arms, explosives or dangerous drugs to facilitate two other inmates’ applications to the court for reduction of sentences by tipping off the Police about the crimes. Early intervention by the ICAC successfully stopped the two arranged crimes from occurring.
Sammy Wong Kok-sum, 39, inmate of LCKRC at the material time; his girlfriend Lau Chun-yee, 27; and his associate Kwan Yu-hin, 24, jointly face two counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to the Common Law and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Wan Chin-pang, 27; and Cheng Lok-lam, 24, two other associates of Wong, jointly face one count of dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, contrary to section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.
The case is scheduled for mention at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (March 6), pending transfer to the District Court for plea.
The present case stemmed from a corruption investigation by the ICAC. The alleged offences took place between September 2021 and May 2022. At the material time, Wong was an inmate incarcerated in LCKRC of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) where he came to know two other inmates who were respectively involved in a robbery case and a dangerous drugs trafficking case. Both cases were pending mention at the High Court.
It is alleged that Wong, Lau and Kwan conspired together with the two inmates and their family members separately to pervert the course of public justice by arranging unlawful arms, explosives or dangerous drugs to be concealed at two premises, and two persons (the duo) to be present there. Afterwards, the two inmates would provide information to the Police with a view to leading to the arrest of the duo and seizure of the unlawful articles, facilitating the two inmates’ applications for reduction of sentences in the court proceedings of their robbery and dangerous drugs trafficking cases. The two inmates and their family members also allegedly paid $250,000 and $1.25 million to Wong respectively for the arrangements.
Meanwhile, Wan and Cheng allegedly dealt with a sum of $319,500, knowing or believing that the sum represented the proceeds of an indictable offence.
ICAC enquiries revealed that Wong allegedly instructed Lau and Kwan to arrange the two cases of possession of unlawful arms, explosives or dangerous drugs, and provided the sum of $319,500 to Wan and Cheng for coordinating one of the cases.
The CSD and Police have offered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
Sammy Wong Kok-sum, 39, inmate of LCKRC at the material time; his girlfriend Lau Chun-yee, 27; and his associate Kwan Yu-hin, 24, jointly face two counts of conspiracy to pervert the course of public justice, contrary to the Common Law and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
Wan Chin-pang, 27; and Cheng Lok-lam, 24, two other associates of Wong, jointly face one count of dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence, contrary to section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.
The case is scheduled for mention at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (March 6), pending transfer to the District Court for plea.
The present case stemmed from a corruption investigation by the ICAC. The alleged offences took place between September 2021 and May 2022. At the material time, Wong was an inmate incarcerated in LCKRC of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) where he came to know two other inmates who were respectively involved in a robbery case and a dangerous drugs trafficking case. Both cases were pending mention at the High Court.
It is alleged that Wong, Lau and Kwan conspired together with the two inmates and their family members separately to pervert the course of public justice by arranging unlawful arms, explosives or dangerous drugs to be concealed at two premises, and two persons (the duo) to be present there. Afterwards, the two inmates would provide information to the Police with a view to leading to the arrest of the duo and seizure of the unlawful articles, facilitating the two inmates’ applications for reduction of sentences in the court proceedings of their robbery and dangerous drugs trafficking cases. The two inmates and their family members also allegedly paid $250,000 and $1.25 million to Wong respectively for the arrangements.
Meanwhile, Wan and Cheng allegedly dealt with a sum of $319,500, knowing or believing that the sum represented the proceeds of an indictable offence.
ICAC enquiries revealed that Wong allegedly instructed Lau and Kwan to arrange the two cases of possession of unlawful arms, explosives or dangerous drugs, and provided the sum of $319,500 to Wan and Cheng for coordinating one of the cases.
The CSD and Police have offered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.