HONG KONG: Hong Kong police constable Lau Chun-wai charged with swindling HK$90,000 from the wife of an arrestee and a police suspect appeared in court Friday and was remanded until March 19.

Lau was charged by the ICAC with 18 offenses, 16 of fraud, one of a prescribed officer accepting an advantage, contrary to the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, and one of committing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice. He is currently free on bail.

Lau entered no plea during his court appearance Friday. It is alleged that Lau swindled HK$40,000 by claiming that the sum was to serve as bail money between April 1 and December 20, 2008. It is said by ICAC that he falsely represented to the wife of a police arrestee that a payment of HK$5,000 was needed before her husband could be released on bail. He also is accused of falsely representing to a suspect that the charge against him was a serious offense and that the man must pay HK$35,000 before bail could be granted.

The ICAC says Lau later asked the same suspect to pay HK$43,000 by falsely claiming that the victim of the offense had demanded the money for withdrawing her complaint.

Lau is also alleged to have induced the same suspect to lend him HK$7,400, by falsely representing that his bank account was frozen by the ICAC, and that he needed the money to pay for ICAC bail. Lau, as a prescribed officer, is also accused of accepting a loan of HK$3,000 from the suspect without permission.

Lau is also accused of soliciting the suspect not to give a witness statement to the ICAC or to mention the money exchange between them. That led to his being accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

(HK Edition 02/27/2010 page1)