A senior police officer charged with conspiring with two other people to use false information to get a Mongolian woman a work visa has been granted permission to leave Hong Kong. Senior Superintendent Brian John Heard, 55 - on retirement leave from the force until September 5 - was granted bail and handed back his passport after appearing at Eastern Court yesterday. Previously the police force's leading ballistics expert, Heard faces a charge of conspiracy to furnish false representations to an immigration officer along with businessman Peter Coomber and Coomber's common-law wife, Conchigsuren Odsuren. No pleas were entered. The three are accused of falsely claiming Odsuren was to be employed as a technical author and interpreter at OED Ltd, of which Coomber was the director. OED supplies equipment for examining firearms to the Hong Kong police. The defendants allegedly claimed Odsuren was needed for her skills in translating scientific texts from Russian or Mongolian into English. Objecting to Heard being allowed to leave the SAR, prosecutor Winnie Ho told Magistrate Eddie Yip Chor-man that the officer had sent a memo to police headquarters saying he was to leave the SAR permanently. Ms Ho said Heard would have no family ties in the SAR after he left with his wife and daughter and that he would possibly not return after going back to Britain, his home country. But Heard's lawyer, David Tolliday-Wright, said there would be 'so much to lose' if Heard went on the run, apart from the fact that it was a criminal offence. Also taken into consideration were his reputation and $7 million pension. The lawyer said the officer was shocked when he was charged on Tuesday as he thought the troubles hanging over his head for six months had ended. It was revealed this week that the original ICAC investigation that led to the visa charge - concerning allegations that Heard had engaged in corrupt dealings over the purchase of bulletproof vests - had been dropped. Mr Yip granted Heard bail of $100,000 cash and $100,000 surety. Coomber and Odsuren were granted bail of $20,000 cash but are not allowed to leave the SAR. The three defendants will next appear in the District Court on April 27.