Hong Kong policeman faces 2½ years in jail and HK$5 million fine after being charged with operating illegal gambling den
- Officer accused of running illegal poker house and flouting ban on group gatherings during coronavirus pandemic
- Suspended constable one of 48 people charged in Kowloon City Court after raid in Kwun Tong
A Hong Kong police officer is facing 2½ years in jail after being accused of running an illegal poker house and flouting the ban on organising public gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Ng Hin-fung was among 36 men and 12 women, aged between 19 and 53, charged in Kowloon City Court on Monday in connection with a police raid at the Selwyn Factory Building in Kwun Tong in the early hours of April 10.
The 29-year-old constable, who is now suspended, was said to be among a trio of operators who hosted Texas Hold’em, the poker variant popular in North American casinos, in the gambling den.
He was released on a HK$10,000 (US$1,280) bail until the next hearing on October 11 for him to consider his plea.
The court heard that the illegal casino, which operated inside a 1,600 sq ft industrial flat, had offered poker games between March 27 and April 8.
Dealers were hired on a part-time basis at an hourly salary of around HK$100 and could charge five per cent from every winning bet as commission.