Ex-policeman charged by ICAC faces 30 more charges for accepting bribe from investment scam complainant and $2.4m loans fraud
2025-4-11
A then Police Constable, charged by the ICAC for allegedly accepting an unauthorised loan from the subject of an investigation, was further laid with 30 counts of bribery and fraud when he appeared at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for mention today (April 11). The defendant was suspected of soliciting and accepting a bribe of $100,000 from an investment scam complainant for his assistance in a Police investigation, and concealing his debts in the application with the Police for extension of service and the applications with various financial institutions for loans totalling over $2.4 million.
Mak Kwok-hung, 50, was charged last November with one count of prescribed officer accepting an advantage, contrary to section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), for allegedly accepting a loan of $15,000 from the subject of a concluded theft probe without the general or special permission of the Chief Executive.
Magistrate Miss Frances Leung Nga-yan today allowed the application to lay 30 additional charges against Mak upon receipt of further legal advice from the Department of Justice. The case was adjourned to April 29 for plea at the District Court. The defendant was granted bail.
The additional charges are one count of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to section 4(2)(a) of the POBO; one count of agent using a document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to section 9(3) of the POBO; and 28 counts of fraud, contrary to section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.
At the material time, the defendant was a Police Constable posted to a District Investigation Team of Central District. In late July 2021, the defendant arranged three people who suffered a significant loss in an investment scam to file a report with the Central District of the Police. The defendant subsequently solicited a loan from one of the complainants.
One of the charges alleged that between July 2021 and August 2023, the defendant accepted a bribe of $100,000 from the complainant as a reward for providing assistance and internal information to the latter.
Twenty-eight other charges alleged that between December 2017 and April 2023, the defendant failed to disclose his outstanding financial obligations to the Hong Kong Police Credit Union (HKPCU) and 13 financial institutions, so as to deceive the HKPCU and the financial institutions into granting him 28 loans, each ranging from $20,000 to $530,000, totalling over $2.4 million.
The remaining charge alleged that in April 2021, when the defendant made an application to the Police under the Continued Service of Police Officers Beyond Prescribed Retirement Age Scheme, he had used an application form containing false statements to mislead the Police by falsely representing that he had no outstanding financial obligations.
The scheme allowed serving police officers at non-directorate level to apply for extending the prescribed retirement age to 60. Each eligible officer was required to declare his or her financial position when applying for the scheme, including one’s outstanding debts. As the financial position of an applicant may affect his or her work performance and conduct, it was one of the material particulars to be considered by the Police in approving the application.
When the defendant submitted his application for service extension, he owed the HKPCU and nine financial institutions over $910,000 in total.
The Police rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Eric Ho.
Mak Kwok-hung, 50, was charged last November with one count of prescribed officer accepting an advantage, contrary to section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO), for allegedly accepting a loan of $15,000 from the subject of a concluded theft probe without the general or special permission of the Chief Executive.
Magistrate Miss Frances Leung Nga-yan today allowed the application to lay 30 additional charges against Mak upon receipt of further legal advice from the Department of Justice. The case was adjourned to April 29 for plea at the District Court. The defendant was granted bail.
The additional charges are one count of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to section 4(2)(a) of the POBO; one count of agent using a document with intent to deceive his principal, contrary to section 9(3) of the POBO; and 28 counts of fraud, contrary to section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.
At the material time, the defendant was a Police Constable posted to a District Investigation Team of Central District. In late July 2021, the defendant arranged three people who suffered a significant loss in an investment scam to file a report with the Central District of the Police. The defendant subsequently solicited a loan from one of the complainants.
One of the charges alleged that between July 2021 and August 2023, the defendant accepted a bribe of $100,000 from the complainant as a reward for providing assistance and internal information to the latter.
Twenty-eight other charges alleged that between December 2017 and April 2023, the defendant failed to disclose his outstanding financial obligations to the Hong Kong Police Credit Union (HKPCU) and 13 financial institutions, so as to deceive the HKPCU and the financial institutions into granting him 28 loans, each ranging from $20,000 to $530,000, totalling over $2.4 million.
The remaining charge alleged that in April 2021, when the defendant made an application to the Police under the Continued Service of Police Officers Beyond Prescribed Retirement Age Scheme, he had used an application form containing false statements to mislead the Police by falsely representing that he had no outstanding financial obligations.
The scheme allowed serving police officers at non-directorate level to apply for extending the prescribed retirement age to 60. Each eligible officer was required to declare his or her financial position when applying for the scheme, including one’s outstanding debts. As the financial position of an applicant may affect his or her work performance and conduct, it was one of the material particulars to be considered by the Police in approving the application.
When the defendant submitted his application for service extension, he owed the HKPCU and nine financial institutions over $910,000 in total.
The Police rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Eric Ho.