Hong Kong police officer pleads guilty to laundering HK$6 million as court warns of harsh sentence
- Kwong Ka-kit, 30, convicted of six counts of money laundering through six payments between October 2019 and May 2021
- Transactions made using money won from gambling website defendant knew was involved in illegal activities, prosecution says
A Hong Kong court warned on Monday it might impose a tough sentence on a police officer who pleaded guilty to laundering more than HK$6 million (US$766,962) through accounts associated with an illegal gambling website.
Deputy District Judge Daniel Tang Siu-hung convicted Kwong Ka-kit, 30, of six counts of money laundering over six payments ranging from more than HK$106,000 to HK$2 million between October 2019 and May 2021.
Tang asked the prosecution to submit precedent cases for the court to decide whether the defendant should get additional jail time, suggesting his duty as a constable was an aggravating factor.
“The court will consider whether the policeman had committed the crime during his duty, abused his power and undermined the public trust in police,” the judge said.
The prosecution told the court that Kwong made the transactions using the money he won from a gambling website, which he obviously knew was involved in illegal activities.
In mitigation, Kwong’s counsel said the defendant was passionate about his work and was a responsible policeman.
