Hong Kong corruption watchdog charges residents’ group volunteers for ‘lucky bags’ vote buying at 2018 by-elections
- ICAC say pair gave out the bags to other residents of Hoi Lai Estate in Sham Shui Po in exchange for votes for a particular candidate
- Each bag allegedly contained daily necessities and food worth about HK$100
Deng Yimei, 42, and Wong Wai-ha, 52, both housewives and volunteers at Friends of Hoi Lai Society – a residents’ group in Hoi Lai Estate in Sham Shui Po, in the Kowloon West geographical constituency – jointly face one count of conspiracy to engage in corrupt conduct at an election by offering an advantage to others.
Two fellow residents of Hoi Lai Estate were also charged for allegedly agreeing to accept the bags.
Housewife Chan Wai-kuen, 50, and Li Mau, 50, each face one count of engaging in corrupt conduct at an election by accepting an advantage as an inducement to vote.
The four defendants – all of whom were residents of Hoi Lai Estate at the time – are expected to appear at the West Kowloon Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Under the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance, an offender is liable to a maximum fine of HK$500,000 and imprisonment of up to seven years.
Hong Kong court overturns Ventus Lau’s by-election ban and declares winner was not duly elected
There were three candidates in the Legco by-election for the Kowloon West geographical constituency on March 11 last year.
Securing 107,479 votes, Vincent Cheng Wing-shun of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) beat localist Edward Yiu Chung-yim and non-affiliated Jonathan Tsoi Tung-chau to win the seat.
