A 10-year veteran of the Hong Kong Police Force will go to jail for three years and two months, after he pleaded guilty to fleecing suspects in criminal cases of more than HK$90,000, under the guise of collecting bail and settlement payments.

Constable Lau Chun-wai, 33, entered guilty pleas to 16 counts of fraud, one of accepting an advantage as an officer and one of perverting the course of justice.

The court heard that Lau swindled HK$93,410 in 2008 from two parties. One involved 24-year-old Fung Kam-ming who had been accused of molesting a domestic helper. The second case involved money taken from the wife of a man charged with criminal intimidation.

In passing the sentence Friday, Deputy District Court Judge Gary Lam Kar-yan said, Lau "abused (his) authority and brought shame on the police force."

In mitigation, Lau's lawyer said the former officer needed the money to pay off more than HK$400,000 in gambling debts. Lau had subsequently declared bankruptcy in June this year. Counsel noted Lau had pleaded guilty and had cooperated with investigators.

Lau scammed Fung who was facing charges of molestation brought by an Indonesian domestic helper. The police officer demanded HK$8,000 for what he called bail money paid in a series of installments.

The maid was later jailed for two months for providing a false police report; however, Fung was unaware of the development and Lau continued to demand payment from Fung, saying the case against him was a serious one.

Lau also demanded a lump sum of HK$42,000, saying it was the settlement demand from the maid as a condition for withdrawing the charges.

Lau eventually took Fung for HK$88,410 over a five-month period in 2008.

Lau also scammed HK$5,000 in alleged "bail money" handed over in April 2008 from Chan Wai-ngor, the wife of the second suspect.

The husband later was found not guilty of criminal intimidation and freed five months later. Lau was unable to repay the money to Chan, which led to her filing a complaint with the Independent Commission Against Corruption. The investigation that ensued uncovered Lau's extortionate behavior.

China Daily

(HK Edition 09/25/2010 page1)