Policeman jailed for deception and forgery
A retired detective constable was jailed for four years yesterday for obstructing justice by forging witness statements in three investigations, and pocketing HK$10,000 obtained by means of deception.
Poon King-chuen, 49, was sentenced in the District Court by Deputy Judge Sham Siu-man on eight charges, including three of perversion of justice, one count each of forgery, obtaining property by deception, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, using a false instrument and making a false report.
In sentencing, the judge said Poon's conduct had undermined public confidence in law and order which the public expected to be upheld by trustworthy and responsible police officers.
Poon, who was not represented by a lawyer, gave no reason for his offending.
The court heard that a police investigation into a theft at a department store in May 2007 had brought some of Poon's crimes to light. Anti-graft investigators had uncovered more evidence of his offending.
The first charge involved Poon, then a serving police officer in Kwun Tong, conspiring with a woman charged with theft to falsify statements - Poon pocketed HK$4,000 in that deal. The second involved duping three women who made complaints about a man who obtained loans by deception into giving him HK$6,000. He persuaded them to make false police statements.
In a third case, Poon persuaded a 14-year-old boy to make a false statement about the boy's theft of a mobile phone and persuaded the boy's parents to pay compensation.
