A taxi driver who tried to deceive passengers with Peruvian banknotes that were no longer in circulation tarnished Hong Kong's reputation as a tourist paradise and shamed law-abiding cabbies, a deputy magistrate said.
Liu Ka-ho, 30, was fined HK$3,700 and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service for the six charges that he had pleaded guilty to.
His taxi driver's licence was suspended for four months.
Liu was arrested in a police undercover operation in November. He was charged with failing to display the taximeter, charging hiring fares that exceeded the prescribed scale of fares, and attempted theft, among others.
At his sentencing in Kowloon City Court yesterday, Liu drew a rebuke from Deputy Magistrate Lee Siu-ho.
"Your crimes have brought shame on your fellow drivers and affected Hong Kong's image as a tourist attraction," Lee said.