Chief Inspector of Police charged by ICAC gets 30 months’ jail for $1.14m bribery and MIPO
2026-5-26
A Chief Inspector of Police (CIP), charged by the ICAC, was today (May 26) sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment at the District Court for accepting bribes totalling over $1.14 million from a merchant and committing misconduct in public office (MIPO) by favouring the merchant in several criminal investigations and divulging Police investigation information to him.
Ho Siu-tung, 40, interdicted CIP, earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); and two counts of MIPO, contrary to the Common Law.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Mr Terence Wai Hon-hei reprimanded the defendant for undermining public confidence in the Police, eroding Hong Kong’s proud reputation for integrity, and striking at the foundation of the city’s rule of law.
The judge set a start point of 48 months’ imprisonment and reduced the defendant’s jail term to 30 months, having considered his guilty plea and other mitigating factors. The judge also ordered the defendant to make restitution of over $1.14 million to the Government, equivalent to the total sum of bribes involved in the present case, within 42 months after serving his jail term.
At the material time, the defendant was posted to Wan Chai District. He was responsible for overseeing criminal investigations conducted by the District Anti-triad Squad and the District Crime Squad. In June 2021, he came to know a merchant who reported a deception case. The merchant was also involved in an assault case, which was investigated by the Wan Chai District Anti-triad Squad under the defendant’s supervision.
The court heard that despite the merchant being identified as the assailant by the victim in the assault case during an identification parade, the defendant recommended in August 2021 to his direct supervisor, a Superintendent of Police, to preclude the merchant from prosecution and attempted to terminate the investigation. He also ignored two enquiries by the Superintendent of Police whether further inquiries were required and ordered his subordinate to release the merchant.
The ICAC investigation revealed that over the following one and a half years, the defendant accepted bribes totalling over $1.14 million from the merchant. In addition to two cash payments of $500,000 each, the bribes also included gifts worth over $140,000, such as branded children’s clothing, a branded handbag and a red packet for the defendant’s son and wife, and payment of medical expenses for his mother.
Between September 2021 and October 2022, the defendant also divulged Police investigation information at the merchant’s request, including personal data of suspects and individuals involved in two cases, summaries of Police interviews with those individuals and their bail statuses.
The two cases were the deception case reported by the merchant and a case involving the use of false instruments concerning a friend of the merchant. The defendant remained favourably disposed to the merchant and his friend during the relevant investigations, including abusing his authority to extend the Police bail of the suspect in the deception case, and abusing his authority at the merchant’s request to prolong or curtail the relevant investigative work in the use of false instruments case without justification.
The Police rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Timothy Chen, assisted by ICAC officer Dirk Cheung.
Ho Siu-tung, 40, interdicted CIP, earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of public servant accepting an advantage, contrary to section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO); and two counts of MIPO, contrary to the Common Law.
In sentencing, Deputy Judge Mr Terence Wai Hon-hei reprimanded the defendant for undermining public confidence in the Police, eroding Hong Kong’s proud reputation for integrity, and striking at the foundation of the city’s rule of law.
The judge set a start point of 48 months’ imprisonment and reduced the defendant’s jail term to 30 months, having considered his guilty plea and other mitigating factors. The judge also ordered the defendant to make restitution of over $1.14 million to the Government, equivalent to the total sum of bribes involved in the present case, within 42 months after serving his jail term.
At the material time, the defendant was posted to Wan Chai District. He was responsible for overseeing criminal investigations conducted by the District Anti-triad Squad and the District Crime Squad. In June 2021, he came to know a merchant who reported a deception case. The merchant was also involved in an assault case, which was investigated by the Wan Chai District Anti-triad Squad under the defendant’s supervision.
The court heard that despite the merchant being identified as the assailant by the victim in the assault case during an identification parade, the defendant recommended in August 2021 to his direct supervisor, a Superintendent of Police, to preclude the merchant from prosecution and attempted to terminate the investigation. He also ignored two enquiries by the Superintendent of Police whether further inquiries were required and ordered his subordinate to release the merchant.
The ICAC investigation revealed that over the following one and a half years, the defendant accepted bribes totalling over $1.14 million from the merchant. In addition to two cash payments of $500,000 each, the bribes also included gifts worth over $140,000, such as branded children’s clothing, a branded handbag and a red packet for the defendant’s son and wife, and payment of medical expenses for his mother.
Between September 2021 and October 2022, the defendant also divulged Police investigation information at the merchant’s request, including personal data of suspects and individuals involved in two cases, summaries of Police interviews with those individuals and their bail statuses.
The two cases were the deception case reported by the merchant and a case involving the use of false instruments concerning a friend of the merchant. The defendant remained favourably disposed to the merchant and his friend during the relevant investigations, including abusing his authority to extend the Police bail of the suspect in the deception case, and abusing his authority at the merchant’s request to prolong or curtail the relevant investigative work in the use of false instruments case without justification.
The Police rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Timothy Chen, assisted by ICAC officer Dirk Cheung.