An anti-triad police officer put his wife on the payroll of a restaurant plagued by criminals and then pocketed the money, a court heard yesterday.
Station Sergeant Ma Wai-ming was second in charge of the anti-triad unit in Wong Tai Sin. In 1993 restaurants in the region, including the Lucky Dragon, were being harassed by the Sun Yee On, prosecutor Tony Schapel told the District Court.
General manager Sui Po-sum, asked Ma, 45, to dinner to see if the problem could be solved. Ma said he could fix things, and a post of public relations officer was created for his wife, Lau Chor-wan, the court heard.
Ma and Sui, 44, have denied conspiring for a public servant to accept advantages.
A 'salary' of $10,000 a month was paid for 13 months, starting in July 1994, into Ms Lau's account. But the payments were 'a sham' and 'window dressing for what in reality was a monthly payment given by Sui to Ma', Mr Schapel said.
'Ms Lau could hardly have made a less suitable public relations officer,' Mr Schapel said.
