Ex-Police Sergeant sentenced for accepting $40,000 unauthorised loans
2019-8-19
A former Police Sergeant, charged by the ICAC, was today (August 19) sentenced at the Kwun Tong Magistracy for accepting two unauthorised loans totalling $40,000 from a security guard of a contractor providing security services at a police office building.
Leung Kam-fai, 55, was ordered by Magistrate Mr Joseph To Ho-shing to perform 120 hours of community service.
In passing the sentence, the magistrate said a non-custodial sentence was meted out having considered that the offences committed by the defendant were unrelated to his police duties.
The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of prescribed officer accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF). Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Police Sergeant posted to the Security Control Unit of the Kowloon West Regional Headquarters (KW/HQ) of the HKPF. Security services at KW/HQ was provided by a contractor and the defendant was responsible for supervising its security guards and assigning work to them.
On January 12, 2018, the defendant asked a security guard of the contractor to lend him $30,000 as he needed to pay tax the following day. The security guard acceded to the defendant’s request and deposited $30,000 into the defendant’s Hong Kong Jockey Club telebet account on the same day.
On February 21, 2018, the defendant further asked the security guard to lend him $10,000 as he was in need of money. The security guard then deposited $10,000 into the abovementioned telebet account on the same day.
The court heard that the defendant returned $20,000 and $5,000 to the security guard in February and April 2018 respectively.
After the defendant failed to settle an outstanding loan of $15,000, the security guard complained the matter to the defendant’s supervisor on June 1, 2018. The outstanding loan was eventually settled on the same day.
The defendant, as a prescribed officer, did not seek any permission for soliciting and accepting the abovementioned loans from the security guard, the court heard.
The HKPF and the contractor had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Dominic Sung.
Leung Kam-fai, 55, was ordered by Magistrate Mr Joseph To Ho-shing to perform 120 hours of community service.
In passing the sentence, the magistrate said a non-custodial sentence was meted out having considered that the offences committed by the defendant were unrelated to his police duties.
The defendant earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of prescribed officer accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 3 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF). Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Police Sergeant posted to the Security Control Unit of the Kowloon West Regional Headquarters (KW/HQ) of the HKPF. Security services at KW/HQ was provided by a contractor and the defendant was responsible for supervising its security guards and assigning work to them.
On January 12, 2018, the defendant asked a security guard of the contractor to lend him $30,000 as he needed to pay tax the following day. The security guard acceded to the defendant’s request and deposited $30,000 into the defendant’s Hong Kong Jockey Club telebet account on the same day.
On February 21, 2018, the defendant further asked the security guard to lend him $10,000 as he was in need of money. The security guard then deposited $10,000 into the abovementioned telebet account on the same day.
The court heard that the defendant returned $20,000 and $5,000 to the security guard in February and April 2018 respectively.
After the defendant failed to settle an outstanding loan of $15,000, the security guard complained the matter to the defendant’s supervisor on June 1, 2018. The outstanding loan was eventually settled on the same day.
The defendant, as a prescribed officer, did not seek any permission for soliciting and accepting the abovementioned loans from the security guard, the court heard.
The HKPF and the contractor had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Dominic Sung.