Hong Kong Jockey Club employees get community service for bogus sick time

Two Jockey Club employees were sentenced to 160 hours of community service today at Fanling Court for using bogus medical documents when applying for sick leave.

One of them, 30-year-old Ho Sai-man, pleaded guilty earlier to four counts of using a false instrument, while the other, 26-year-old Chu Long-tat, admitted to five counts of the same charge.

The two telebet assistants were among at least 20 others who allegedly used fake medical documents issued by a Chinese medicine practitioner in order to get a day off. It is Jockey Club’s policy that employees provide proof of a medical appointment when they call in sick, the court had heard.

Three other employees from the Department of Health, both current and former, were charged last year with using false sick notices issued by the same medical provider.

While Ho used four fake documents to justify five days off, Chu used six documents as an excuse for calling in sick eight times.

The Chinese medical practitioner has been charged with issuing 700 false medical documents. He pleaded not guilty to 18 counts of conspire to use a false instruments.