Job seeker admits seeking employments by using false academic proofs and deception
2018-9-12
A job seeker, charged by the ICAC, admitted at the District Court today (September 12) that he had sought employments from two government departments and the anti-corruption agency by using false academic proofs and deception respectively in a period of nine years, thereby inducing the government departments to pay him remunerations of over $1.1 million.
Poon Hoi-kan, 41, pleaded guilty to four charges of using a copy of a false instrument, contrary to Section 74 of the Crimes Ordinance; and two alternative charges of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception, contrary to Section 18(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
Judge Pang Chung-ping ordered that five other charges – four of using a copy of a false instrument or copies of false instruments and one of possessing a false instrument; and another alternative charge of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception against the defendant be left on court file.
The judge adjourned the case to September 19 for sentence, and granted the defendant bail.
The defendant had paid over $1.1 million as restitution to the Government.
The case arose from a corruption investigation. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that the defendant commenced his bachelor’s degree course at a university in Australia in February 1999. As he did not complete the course, the university did not award a graduation certificate to him.
Between December 2002 and December 2004, the defendant worked as a General Clerk in the Teacher Registration Section Team of the then Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB). He was tasked to handle academic certificates submitted by teachers.
On an occasion while working in EMB, the defendant had a chance to obtain a photocopy of a genuine graduation certificate of the bachelor’s degree issued by the university. He covered the genuine holder’s name by his own name and forged a photocopy of a false graduation certificate in his own name.
The court heard that between May 2004 and March 2011, the defendant applied to the then Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) for a post of Processing Officer and the Home Affairs Department (HAD) for four other posts, namely District Council Secretariat Assistant of Yuen Long District Office, Contract Project Executive of the headquarters of the HAD, District Council Project Coordinator of Tsuen Wan District Office, and District Council Executive Assistant of Sai Kung District Office.
The defendant attached to his application forms photocopies of the graduation certificate purportedly issued by the university or falsely represented in his application forms that he obtained a bachelor’s degree from it.
As a result, the defendant was offered the employments. He received a total remuneration of over $220,000 and more than $907,000 from the SFAA and the HAD respectively.
The court heard that the defendant applied to the ICAC for a post of Assistant Clerical Officer in June 2013. To support his application, the defendant attached a photocopy of the graduation certificate purportedly issued by the university.
The ICAC later sent a letter to the defendant requesting him to complete a normal checking form for processing his application. He declined to do so, and hence his application had not been processed.
The HAD and the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (formerly known as the SFAA) had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Karen Yuen, assisted by ICAC officer Jeanne Lam.
Poon Hoi-kan, 41, pleaded guilty to four charges of using a copy of a false instrument, contrary to Section 74 of the Crimes Ordinance; and two alternative charges of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception, contrary to Section 18(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
Judge Pang Chung-ping ordered that five other charges – four of using a copy of a false instrument or copies of false instruments and one of possessing a false instrument; and another alternative charge of obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception against the defendant be left on court file.
The judge adjourned the case to September 19 for sentence, and granted the defendant bail.
The defendant had paid over $1.1 million as restitution to the Government.
The case arose from a corruption investigation. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that the defendant commenced his bachelor’s degree course at a university in Australia in February 1999. As he did not complete the course, the university did not award a graduation certificate to him.
Between December 2002 and December 2004, the defendant worked as a General Clerk in the Teacher Registration Section Team of the then Education and Manpower Bureau (EMB). He was tasked to handle academic certificates submitted by teachers.
On an occasion while working in EMB, the defendant had a chance to obtain a photocopy of a genuine graduation certificate of the bachelor’s degree issued by the university. He covered the genuine holder’s name by his own name and forged a photocopy of a false graduation certificate in his own name.
The court heard that between May 2004 and March 2011, the defendant applied to the then Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) for a post of Processing Officer and the Home Affairs Department (HAD) for four other posts, namely District Council Secretariat Assistant of Yuen Long District Office, Contract Project Executive of the headquarters of the HAD, District Council Project Coordinator of Tsuen Wan District Office, and District Council Executive Assistant of Sai Kung District Office.
The defendant attached to his application forms photocopies of the graduation certificate purportedly issued by the university or falsely represented in his application forms that he obtained a bachelor’s degree from it.
As a result, the defendant was offered the employments. He received a total remuneration of over $220,000 and more than $907,000 from the SFAA and the HAD respectively.
The court heard that the defendant applied to the ICAC for a post of Assistant Clerical Officer in June 2013. To support his application, the defendant attached a photocopy of the graduation certificate purportedly issued by the university.
The ICAC later sent a letter to the defendant requesting him to complete a normal checking form for processing his application. He declined to do so, and hence his application had not been processed.
The HAD and the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency (formerly known as the SFAA) had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Public Prosecutor Karen Yuen, assisted by ICAC officer Jeanne Lam.