Seventeen charged for alleged roles in ITFC bribery and vote-rigging in 2016 LegCo Election
2019-9-5
Seventeen persons, including five office bearers of a taxi association, were charged by the ICAC in the past three days (September 2 to 4) in two cases for their alleged roles in a bribery and vote-rigging scam for a number of persons to register as electors of the Information Technology Functional Constituency (ITFC) with false qualifications, in order for them to vote for a particular candidate at the 2016 Legislative Council (LegCo) General Election.
The 2016 LegCo General Election (the Election) was held on September 4, 2016. The ITFC is one of the 29 functional constituencies in the LegCo.
A person, who is registered as an elector in a Geographical Constituency or is eligible and has applied to be so registered, who possesses the membership of a professional body specified in the Legislative Council Ordinance, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., Hong Kong Section (IEEE), is eligible to register as an elector in the ITFC with the Registration and Electoral Office (REO). To qualify for IEEE membership, an individual must fulfil certain academic or professional criteria.
In the first case, 14 defendants will appear at the Eastern Magistracy tomorrow (September 6) for mention, pending transfer of the case to the District Court.
Five of the defendants are four office bearers and a staff member of the Taxi Drivers & Operators Association (TDOA), including Li Wai-man, 52, corporate affairs director of TDOA; Yeung Yiu-hung, 33, vice secretary of TDOA; Wong Suen-lai, 44, financial director of TDOA; Lui Ah-fook, 45, executive committee member of TDOA; and Poon Sau-fong, 51, clerk of TDOA.
Five other defendants charged in the same case are Lui Wai-fong, 39, accounts clerk; Lui Lai-fong, 42, housewife; and Lui Lai-mui, 45, cashier; all younger sisters of Lui Ah-fook; as well as Lui Ah-fook’s son Lui King-yin, 23, student; and Chan Ki-nam, 48, construction worker and brother-in-law of Lui Wai-fong.
The remaining four defendants are Chan Wing-hang, 22, student; Kwok Ka-kin, 22, student; Lim Chak-him, 22, student, and Ng Ka-ho, 21, salon assistant; all associates of Lui King-yin.
The 14 defendants face a total of 12 charges, namely one of conspiracy to engage in corrupt conduct at an election by offering an advantage to others, contrary to Section 11(1)(a) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance (ECICO) and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance; one of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law; and 10 of engaging in corrupt conduct at an election by accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 11(1)(e) of the ECICO.
One of the conspiracy charges alleges that between April 14 and September 4, 2016, Li Wai-man, Lui Ah-fook, Lui Wai-fong and Lui King-yin, conspired together and with other persons unknown, to engage in corrupt conduct at the Election by, without reasonable excuse, offering $1,000 to each of a total of 36 persons as an inducement for them to vote for a particular candidate.
Among the 36 persons are 10 defendants in this case, while the remaining 26 persons are their relatives, schoolmates and associates.
Lui Wai-fong and Lui King-yin each further faces an alternative charge of conspiracy to engage in corrupt conduct at an election by offering an advantage to others, contrary to Section 11(1)(a) of the ECICO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The two alternative charges against Lui Wai-fong and Lui King-yin respectively allege them of offering $1,000 to each of the 17 and six of the above 36 persons for the same purpose during the abovementioned period.
Another conspiracy charge alleges that between April 12 and July 16, 2016, Li Wai-man, Yeung Yiu-hung, Poon Sau-fong and Wong Suen-lai, conspired together and with another clerk of TDOA, to defraud the REO by dishonestly:
(i) making and effecting applications for full membership in the IEEE, for about 240 persons with input of false information about their professional qualification and education;
(ii) making or causing to make applications to the REO for registration in the ITFC by those persons on the strength of their membership obtained with the IEEE; and
(iii) causing and inducing staff members of the REO to approve those applications and include those persons in the 2016 provisional register of electors and final register of electors for the ITFC election, so that they would become entitled to vote in the ITFC.
Six other charges allege that on or about May 21, 2016, each of Lui Ah-fook, Lui Wai-fong, Lui Lai-fong, Lui Lai-mui, Lui King-yin and Chan Ki-nam engaged in corrupt conduct at the Election by, without reasonable excuse, accepting $1,000, as an inducement for them to vote for a particular candidate.
Three other charges allege that on or about May 22, 2016, each of Chan Wing-han, Kwok Ka-kin, and Lim Chak-him respectively accepted $850 for the same purpose.
The remaining charge alleges that on or about May 22, 2016, Ng Ka-ho, accepted $700 for the same reason.
In the second case, the three defendants are Li Lam-cheong, 47, executive committee member of TDOA; Chan Chun-shing, 60, member of TDOA; and Chan Hiu-tung, 31, receptionist and daughter of Chan Chun-shing.
The trio will appear at the Eastern Magistracy tomorrow (September 6) for plea.
They face a joint charge of conspiracy to engage in corrupt conduct at an election by offering an advantage to others, contrary to Section 11(1)(a) of the ECICO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The conspiracy charge alleges that between April 27 and September 4, 2016, the trio conspired together and with other persons unknown, to engage in corrupt conduct at the Election by, without reasonable excuse, offering $1,000 to each of five persons, namely Chan Chun-shing, Chan Hiu-tung, as well as two family members and a friend of the Chans, as an inducement for the five persons to vote for a particular candidate.
Chan Chun-shing and Chan Hiu-tung each further faces one count of engaging in corrupt conduct at an election by accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 11(1)(e) of the ECICO.
The two charges allege that on or about May 21, 2016, Chan Chun-shing and Chan Hiu-tung each engaged in corrupt conduct at the Election by, without reasonable excuse, accepting $1,000, as an inducement for them to vote for a particular candidate.
All defendants of the two cases have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance tomorrow.
The REO has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the cases.
The 2016 LegCo General Election (the Election) was held on September 4, 2016. The ITFC is one of the 29 functional constituencies in the LegCo.
A person, who is registered as an elector in a Geographical Constituency or is eligible and has applied to be so registered, who possesses the membership of a professional body specified in the Legislative Council Ordinance, including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., Hong Kong Section (IEEE), is eligible to register as an elector in the ITFC with the Registration and Electoral Office (REO). To qualify for IEEE membership, an individual must fulfil certain academic or professional criteria.
In the first case, 14 defendants will appear at the Eastern Magistracy tomorrow (September 6) for mention, pending transfer of the case to the District Court.
Five of the defendants are four office bearers and a staff member of the Taxi Drivers & Operators Association (TDOA), including Li Wai-man, 52, corporate affairs director of TDOA; Yeung Yiu-hung, 33, vice secretary of TDOA; Wong Suen-lai, 44, financial director of TDOA; Lui Ah-fook, 45, executive committee member of TDOA; and Poon Sau-fong, 51, clerk of TDOA.
Five other defendants charged in the same case are Lui Wai-fong, 39, accounts clerk; Lui Lai-fong, 42, housewife; and Lui Lai-mui, 45, cashier; all younger sisters of Lui Ah-fook; as well as Lui Ah-fook’s son Lui King-yin, 23, student; and Chan Ki-nam, 48, construction worker and brother-in-law of Lui Wai-fong.
The remaining four defendants are Chan Wing-hang, 22, student; Kwok Ka-kin, 22, student; Lim Chak-him, 22, student, and Ng Ka-ho, 21, salon assistant; all associates of Lui King-yin.
The 14 defendants face a total of 12 charges, namely one of conspiracy to engage in corrupt conduct at an election by offering an advantage to others, contrary to Section 11(1)(a) of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance (ECICO) and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance; one of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law; and 10 of engaging in corrupt conduct at an election by accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 11(1)(e) of the ECICO.
One of the conspiracy charges alleges that between April 14 and September 4, 2016, Li Wai-man, Lui Ah-fook, Lui Wai-fong and Lui King-yin, conspired together and with other persons unknown, to engage in corrupt conduct at the Election by, without reasonable excuse, offering $1,000 to each of a total of 36 persons as an inducement for them to vote for a particular candidate.
Among the 36 persons are 10 defendants in this case, while the remaining 26 persons are their relatives, schoolmates and associates.
Lui Wai-fong and Lui King-yin each further faces an alternative charge of conspiracy to engage in corrupt conduct at an election by offering an advantage to others, contrary to Section 11(1)(a) of the ECICO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The two alternative charges against Lui Wai-fong and Lui King-yin respectively allege them of offering $1,000 to each of the 17 and six of the above 36 persons for the same purpose during the abovementioned period.
Another conspiracy charge alleges that between April 12 and July 16, 2016, Li Wai-man, Yeung Yiu-hung, Poon Sau-fong and Wong Suen-lai, conspired together and with another clerk of TDOA, to defraud the REO by dishonestly:
(i) making and effecting applications for full membership in the IEEE, for about 240 persons with input of false information about their professional qualification and education;
(ii) making or causing to make applications to the REO for registration in the ITFC by those persons on the strength of their membership obtained with the IEEE; and
(iii) causing and inducing staff members of the REO to approve those applications and include those persons in the 2016 provisional register of electors and final register of electors for the ITFC election, so that they would become entitled to vote in the ITFC.
Six other charges allege that on or about May 21, 2016, each of Lui Ah-fook, Lui Wai-fong, Lui Lai-fong, Lui Lai-mui, Lui King-yin and Chan Ki-nam engaged in corrupt conduct at the Election by, without reasonable excuse, accepting $1,000, as an inducement for them to vote for a particular candidate.
Three other charges allege that on or about May 22, 2016, each of Chan Wing-han, Kwok Ka-kin, and Lim Chak-him respectively accepted $850 for the same purpose.
The remaining charge alleges that on or about May 22, 2016, Ng Ka-ho, accepted $700 for the same reason.
In the second case, the three defendants are Li Lam-cheong, 47, executive committee member of TDOA; Chan Chun-shing, 60, member of TDOA; and Chan Hiu-tung, 31, receptionist and daughter of Chan Chun-shing.
The trio will appear at the Eastern Magistracy tomorrow (September 6) for plea.
They face a joint charge of conspiracy to engage in corrupt conduct at an election by offering an advantage to others, contrary to Section 11(1)(a) of the ECICO and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The conspiracy charge alleges that between April 27 and September 4, 2016, the trio conspired together and with other persons unknown, to engage in corrupt conduct at the Election by, without reasonable excuse, offering $1,000 to each of five persons, namely Chan Chun-shing, Chan Hiu-tung, as well as two family members and a friend of the Chans, as an inducement for the five persons to vote for a particular candidate.
Chan Chun-shing and Chan Hiu-tung each further faces one count of engaging in corrupt conduct at an election by accepting an advantage, contrary to Section 11(1)(e) of the ECICO.
The two charges allege that on or about May 21, 2016, Chan Chun-shing and Chan Hiu-tung each engaged in corrupt conduct at the Election by, without reasonable excuse, accepting $1,000, as an inducement for them to vote for a particular candidate.
All defendants of the two cases have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance tomorrow.
The REO has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the cases.