Customs man 'will plead guilty in smuggling case'
A CUSTOMS officer has indicated he will plead guilty to charges in connection with a cross-border smuggling ring, the District Court heard yesterday.
Ng Shun-chun, 32, faces two counts of offering an advantage to a public servant and one count each of conspiracy to offer advantages to public servants and conspiracy to smuggle.
Senior Crown Counsel Miss Penny Rector said Ng had indicated to ICAC officers and his lawyer that he would plead guilty at his next court appearance.
Ng is accused of offering an unspecified sum of money to customs officer Mr Woo Siu-man on an unknown day between August 1 and September 30, last year, in return for arranging for vehicles containing unmanifested goods to be allowed unimpeded through theMan Kam To checkpoint.
He is alleged to have offered $3,000 to senior customs officer Mr Ng Cheuk-wing last August in return for the unimpeded clearance at Man Kam To of a vehicle containing unmanifested goods.
He is further accused of conspiring with Cheung Sai-hung, Li Chi-wah and others to offer rewards to serving officers of the Customs and Excise Department for them to arrange the unimpeded clearance of unmanifested cargo from Hongkong to China through checkpoints between December 1, 1991, and February 8 this year.
The Crown alleges that Ng conspired with Li, Cheung and others to export unmanifested electrical goods and vehicles during the period.
Judge Chan remanded Ng in jail until March 10.
