Medical and Health Officer sentenced for MIPO over medical services for ineligible family members
2018-10-15
A Medical and Health Officer of the Department of Health (DH), charged by the ICAC, was today (October 15) sentenced to four months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and fined $20,000 at the Kowloon City Magistracy after being convicted of misconduct in public office (MIPO) for having arranged medical services for her ineligible family members.
Grace Chui Sing-chi, 54, was found guilty of one count of MIPO, contrary to Common Law.
In sentencing, Magistrate Joseph To Ho-shing reprimanded the defendant for misusing her official position to misappropriate public resources. As a well-educated professional as well as a veteran civil servant, she must have realised that her misconduct was both unlawful and dishonest, and her conduct had fallen so far below the standard of behaviour expected of a person in her position that criminal condemnation and punishment were called for.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the DH. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offence.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Medical and Health Officer of the DH, which has set up elderly health centres in various districts in order to shorten the waiting time for the elderly seeking medical services. Only those over the age of 65 or above are eligible for enrolling as members.
The defendant worked as the officer-in-charge of the San Po Kong Elderly Heath Centre (SPKEHC), and was the only medical officer at the centre.
The court heard that on 67 occasions between July 2, 2004 and April 14, 2016, the defendant arranged for clinical specimens to be sent to the Clinical Pathology Laboratory Centre (CPLC) and the Public Health Laboratory Centre (PHLC) of the DH for 75 tests.
Those clinical specimens came from four family members of the defendant, namely her two elder brothers, elder sister and daughter. They were all under the age of 65 and hence not eligible for the clinical specimen testing services.
The CPLC and the PHLC respectively received from the SPKEHC 63 and 12 test requests in relation to the above four persons.
Believing that the four persons were eligible members of the SPKEHC, the CPLC and the PHLC conducted the tests as requested by the defendant and issued test reports to the centre, the court was told.
The DH had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Derek Lai and Senior Public Prosecutor Andrew Cheng, assisted by ICAC officer Francis Lai.
Grace Chui Sing-chi, 54, was found guilty of one count of MIPO, contrary to Common Law.
In sentencing, Magistrate Joseph To Ho-shing reprimanded the defendant for misusing her official position to misappropriate public resources. As a well-educated professional as well as a veteran civil servant, she must have realised that her misconduct was both unlawful and dishonest, and her conduct had fallen so far below the standard of behaviour expected of a person in her position that criminal condemnation and punishment were called for.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the DH. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offence.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Medical and Health Officer of the DH, which has set up elderly health centres in various districts in order to shorten the waiting time for the elderly seeking medical services. Only those over the age of 65 or above are eligible for enrolling as members.
The defendant worked as the officer-in-charge of the San Po Kong Elderly Heath Centre (SPKEHC), and was the only medical officer at the centre.
The court heard that on 67 occasions between July 2, 2004 and April 14, 2016, the defendant arranged for clinical specimens to be sent to the Clinical Pathology Laboratory Centre (CPLC) and the Public Health Laboratory Centre (PHLC) of the DH for 75 tests.
Those clinical specimens came from four family members of the defendant, namely her two elder brothers, elder sister and daughter. They were all under the age of 65 and hence not eligible for the clinical specimen testing services.
The CPLC and the PHLC respectively received from the SPKEHC 63 and 12 test requests in relation to the above four persons.
Believing that the four persons were eligible members of the SPKEHC, the CPLC and the PHLC conducted the tests as requested by the defendant and issued test reports to the centre, the court was told.
The DH had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Derek Lai and Senior Public Prosecutor Andrew Cheng, assisted by ICAC officer Francis Lai.