Police Constable gets eight months for $160,000 loans fraud
2019-10-9
A Police Constable, charged by the ICAC, was today (October 9) sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment at the West Kowloon Magistracy after admitting that he had defrauded a woman of 20 loans totalling $95,500 and a luxury watch worth over $62,000 by making false representations.
Cheung Wing-ting, 25, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance. The prosecution offered no evidence to a perversion charge against him.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Jason Wan Siu-ming said a non-custodial sentence was inappropriate as the fraud scam lasted a long period, involved a considerable amount of money, and was not confined to an isolated incident.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Hong Kong Police Force (Police). Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Police Constable. In June 2015, he came to know a woman through a mobile phone dating application. They became lovers afterwards but broke up in about March 2017.
In about mid-July 2015, the defendant started to tell the woman that he was in financial difficulties as he had to make repayments for mortgage and car loans. Upon his request, the woman lent him $69,000 in total on 14 occasions between July 18, 2015 and June 9, 2016.
The defendant started to tell the woman in December 2015 that he had been suffering from headache. He further told her in July 2016 that medical examination confirmed there were blood clots in his brain, and asked her for loans to settle his medical expenses, mortgage repayments and car loans.
Believing in the defendant’s representations, the woman further lent him a total of $26,500 on six occasions between July 16 and December 10, 2016, the court heard.
In January 2017, the defendant told the woman that he had resigned from Police and participated in London Gold Trading by working as a salesperson. He claimed that he had to buy a luxury watch as he would need to wear one to work, and that he would make monthly repayments of $2,000 or $3,000 to her afterwards.
The court heard that on March 17, 2017, the duo went to a watch shop and purchased a watch worth over $62,000 with the woman’s credit card.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers in July 2018, the defendant admitted that he did not have to repay any loans, settle any medical expenses for the brain illness he claimed to have suffered, and that he had never resigned from Police nor been engaged in London Gold Trading.
Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Joe Ng.
Cheung Wing-ting, 25, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance. The prosecution offered no evidence to a perversion charge against him.
In sentencing, Magistrate Mr Jason Wan Siu-ming said a non-custodial sentence was inappropriate as the fraud scam lasted a long period, involved a considerable amount of money, and was not confined to an isolated incident.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the Hong Kong Police Force (Police). Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, the defendant was a Police Constable. In June 2015, he came to know a woman through a mobile phone dating application. They became lovers afterwards but broke up in about March 2017.
In about mid-July 2015, the defendant started to tell the woman that he was in financial difficulties as he had to make repayments for mortgage and car loans. Upon his request, the woman lent him $69,000 in total on 14 occasions between July 18, 2015 and June 9, 2016.
The defendant started to tell the woman in December 2015 that he had been suffering from headache. He further told her in July 2016 that medical examination confirmed there were blood clots in his brain, and asked her for loans to settle his medical expenses, mortgage repayments and car loans.
Believing in the defendant’s representations, the woman further lent him a total of $26,500 on six occasions between July 16 and December 10, 2016, the court heard.
In January 2017, the defendant told the woman that he had resigned from Police and participated in London Gold Trading by working as a salesperson. He claimed that he had to buy a luxury watch as he would need to wear one to work, and that he would make monthly repayments of $2,000 or $3,000 to her afterwards.
The court heard that on March 17, 2017, the duo went to a watch shop and purchased a watch worth over $62,000 with the woman’s credit card.
When interviewed under caution by ICAC officers in July 2018, the defendant admitted that he did not have to repay any loans, settle any medical expenses for the brain illness he claimed to have suffered, and that he had never resigned from Police nor been engaged in London Gold Trading.
Police had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Joe Ng.