Attempt to win permit with bribe

A mother offered an immigration officer a $3,000 bribe to give her mainland-born son permanent residency.

Part-time office assistant Chu King, 36, yesterday admitted in Western Court having approached immigration officer Cheah Siu-hing with the cash offer on December 8.

The bribe was for Ms Cheah to approve the application for a permanent ID card for Chu's son Chow Yin-pan, aged 11.

Shanghai-born Chu and the boy were in Hong Kong legally on one-way permits and would have been entitled to permanent residency when they had been here seven years.

Chu married a Hong Kong resident in 1986.

The Immigration Department referred the case to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.