Then Senior Immigration Assistant charged by ICAC admits using application forms concealing outstanding loans in $130,000 salary advance
2025-1-2
A then Senior Immigration Assistant of the Immigration Department (ImmD), charged by the ICAC, today (January 2) pleaded guilty at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts to breaching the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) for using application forms containing false statements which concealed his outstanding loans with financial institutions to apply for salary advance totalling over $130,000 on four occasions in 11 years.
Chan Wing-ko, 52, then Senior Immigration Assistant of the ImmD, today pleaded guilty to four counts of agent using document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to section 9(3) of the POBO. The prosecution offered no evidence to five other similar charges against him.
Principal Magistrate Mr Don So Man-lung adjourned the case to January 23 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that the defendant was employed by the ImmD between February 1994 and August 2023. During his tenure, the defendant was entitled to apply for salary advance under the Civil Service Regulations to meet expenses on marriage, funeral and relocation purposes, etc., and he was required to declare his financial liabilities in the application form. In reviewing the applications, the ImmD would consider the financial situation of an applicant and would recommend to the Treasury for approving applications for salary advance.
The defendant admitted that on four occasions between July 2009 and January 2020, he had used application forms for salary advance which contained false statements, claiming that he had no liabilities owed to any financial institution, to mislead the ImmD. The applications, ranging from about $28,000 to $40,000, involved over $130,000 in total.
The ICAC investigation revealed that the defendant had never declared to the ImmD his debts with various financial institutions, ranging from over $280,000 to over $360,000, when he made those applications for salary advance.
The ImmD and the Treasury rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Wilson Lam.
Chan Wing-ko, 52, then Senior Immigration Assistant of the ImmD, today pleaded guilty to four counts of agent using document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to section 9(3) of the POBO. The prosecution offered no evidence to five other similar charges against him.
Principal Magistrate Mr Don So Man-lung adjourned the case to January 23 for sentence, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in custody of the Correctional Services Department.
The court heard that the defendant was employed by the ImmD between February 1994 and August 2023. During his tenure, the defendant was entitled to apply for salary advance under the Civil Service Regulations to meet expenses on marriage, funeral and relocation purposes, etc., and he was required to declare his financial liabilities in the application form. In reviewing the applications, the ImmD would consider the financial situation of an applicant and would recommend to the Treasury for approving applications for salary advance.
The defendant admitted that on four occasions between July 2009 and January 2020, he had used application forms for salary advance which contained false statements, claiming that he had no liabilities owed to any financial institution, to mislead the ImmD. The applications, ranging from about $28,000 to $40,000, involved over $130,000 in total.
The ICAC investigation revealed that the defendant had never declared to the ImmD his debts with various financial institutions, ranging from over $280,000 to over $360,000, when he made those applications for salary advance.
The ImmD and the Treasury rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Wilson Lam.