A man who escaped police detection after an armed robbery turned himself in after another gang member demanded money in exchange for keeping his identity a secret. The unusual circumstances surrounding the surrender of Cheng Yat-ming, 34, came to light as Mrs Justice Verina Bokhary jailed him in the Court of First Instance for 3 1/2 years yesterday. The court had heard Cheng turned up at Tin Shui Wai police station on December 4 claiming he was involved in the robbery of the Security Centre Company at the Chung Fu Shopping Centre car park in Tin Shui Wai. Mrs Justice Bokhary was told that in the early hours of March 4, 2002, Security Centre employee Li Chi-ho signed off from his shift at the control room and left. But he returned almost immediately and left the door ajar. Moments later, two men with knives rushed into the room. They tied up three employees and ransacked the office, leaving with $72,625 cash and $20,730 in cheques. Police investigations led to the arrest of Li, Ng Kwok-leung and Lau Tse-tung, who were jointly charged with one count of robbery. However, the court heard Lau escaped - only to start blackmailing Cheng, who had been recruited to organise the gang's getaway car. Lau is still at large.
