Integrity Focus

A former employee of a Chinese restaurant, charged by the ICAC, was today (April 23) given a jail term of four months and three weeks at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for stealing over $23,000 from the restaurant by revising the relevant records in the computer system of the restaurant after customers had paid the bills.

Leung Tsz-ying, 35, former clerk cum substitute cashier of Lei Garden Restaurant, earlier pleaded guilty to five counts of theft, contrary to Section 9 of the Theft Ordinance.

In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Miss Ivy Chui Yee-mei said the defendant deserved an immediate custodial sentence for breaching the trust placed in her and committing a crime which was serious in nature.

When the case took place between December 2019 and December 2021, the defendant was a clerk cum substitute cashier of a branch of Lei Garden Restaurant in Central. She was authorised to revise or cancel customer orders in the computer system of the restaurant.

The court heard that the defendant deleted the number of dishes ordered and served in the computer systems after three customers had paid their bills totalling over $20,000, misleading Lei Garden Restaurant that their bills added up to about $15,000 in total, to facilitate the defendant’s pocketing of the difference of about $5,000.

In addition, the defendant stole $13,300 maintained in the meal expenses deposit account of a customer of Lei Garden Restaurant. In order to cover up her misappropriation, she deposited about $5,200 into the account after stealing the sum from another customer by the same fraudulent means of cancelling orders in the computer system.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent enquiries revealed the theft offences committed by the defendant. Lei Garden Restaurant had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Jackie Lam.