Six employees of a dried seafood shop who defrauded customers by duping them into sham cut-price deals were jailed yesterday after a magistrate said their crimes eroded the foundation of Hong Kong as a business centre.
Lo Sai-wa, 22, Lo Kwok-yuen, 44, Ng Yuk-chun, 21, Leung Suet-ha, 51, and Tse Wai-ha, 26, were jailed for 13 months by Magistrate Sham Siu-man for conspiracy to defraud. Wong Yeung-kim, 35, received 10 months' jail for the same offence after showing remorse.
Tse collapsed at North Kowloon Court after hearing the sentence and needed medical treatment before being remanded in custody. All the defendants except Wong said they would appeal to the High Court. The magistrate refused their application for bail.
They had given false price quotes to customers to entice them to buy expensive seafood, prosecutor Fung Sheung-kit said. The six, who all worked for Hong Chak Bird's Nest Centre in Mongkok, would usually quote customers the price of the seafood per catty, then after the customers had paid for the goods, they would tell them the price mentioned was per tael and refuse a refund.
Mr Sham said the six all played a part in a 'well-designed scheme that had only one goal - to cheat the customers'. He said: 'You are driven by sheer greed. Your dishonest behaviour caused not only loss to the customers but also eroded the practice of fair play which is the foundation of Hong Kong as a business society.' All except Wong had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud.
Acting Chief Inspector Lai Chung-hong, of Kowloon West police, said: 'We believe this is a timely warning to dishonest shops. It is a combined effort by the police, the Consumer Council and the Judiciary to prevent dishonest business practices.'
