A former senior police inspector used his authority to obtain internal documents and confidential papers for an alleged fraud victim he had befriended during an investigation.
Former police inspector Francis Lam Koon-wah, 41, thought there was insufficient evidence to make an arrest in the case and he wanted to help the victim by giving him information for a private detective.
Lam gave information to the complainant for two years before the man complained to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after he became suspicious about Lam's motivation for helping him.
Lam yesterday pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in public office for abusing his position to obtain confidential, internal reports and giving them to businessman Cheung Wai-keung from 2005 to 2007. Lam lost his job - which he had held for nine years - for the offence.
The District Court heard Lam was in charge of Cheung's complaint that he was cheated of HK$5.8 million by French business partner Michel Rene Gilles Peline in November 2005.
Lam used his capacity as a senior police inspector to obtain documents related to Peline from the Inland Revenue Department, as well as company and land search records.
