A POLICEMAN and an accomplice stole $6,000 from a frightened shop owner after blackmailing him for ''lucky money'', the District Court was told yesterday.
Cheng Yu-yin, 23, a police constable with the uniform branch at Kwai Chung, was said to have been in plain-clothes at the time of the alleged extortion a year ago.
He stood by while Cheung Chin-ting, 33, claimed to be a member of the 14K triad society and demanded $8,000 from a paint shop in Kowloon, prosecutor Andrew Chung alleged.
Shopowner Chow Tuk-kwong was frightened and handed over $6,000 after Cheung claimed to be a nightclub bouncer who was not afraid of police, Mr Chung said. But when the pair returned to the shop four days later to collect the remaining $2,000 they were ambushed by police and arrested, the court heard.
Only then was it discovered that Cheng was a police officer, Mr Chung said.
Both defendants denied stealing $6,000 and demanding $8,000 from Mr Chow with menaces. Cheung also denied claiming to be a member of a triad society.
