Recent ICAC Cases

24
May 2023
Man jailed for six months for bribing CVC nurse over COVID-19 jab record

A man, charged by the ICAC, was today (May 24) sentenced to six months’ imprisonment at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for bribing a nurse of a Community Vaccination Centre (CVC) with $1,000 for obtaining a vaccination record without inoculating the COVID-19 vaccine.

Cheung Chin-hang, 25, community health practitioner of a District Health Centre, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

In sentencing, Acting Principal Magistrate Miss Veronica Heung Shuk-han said it was selfish of the defendant to ask the nurse to assist him in getting a fake vaccination record when the government spared no effort to keep the severe epidemic situation under control. The offence involved was serious in nature and the Acting Principal Magistrate took a starting point of nine months’ imprisonment and reduced the jail term of the defendant to six months having considered his guilty plea.

At that time, the defendant worked at a District Health Centre under the Health Bureau, which was a government designated healthcare premises subject to the Vaccine Pass Arrangement. In order to enter his workplace, he was required to comply with the arrangement by receiving designated doses of COVID-19 vaccine or possessing a valid medical exemption certificate.

The court heard that on September 21, 2022, the defendant visited Osman Ramju Sadick Memorial Sports Center CVC and offered $1,000 to an enrolled nurse for issuing a vaccination record without inoculating the COVID-19 vaccine. The nurse did not accede to his request and reported the matter to Quality HealthCare Medical Services Limited (QHMS) which operated the CVC.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. It was revealed that the medical exemption certificate of the defendant expired one day before he visited the abovementioned CVC. The defendant claimed that he was unwell after receiving the first jab and so he tried to bribe the nurse to get a vaccination record.

QHMS and the Department of Health had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Stanley Sizto.

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