Hong Kong police sergeant borrowed HK$129,000 from colleagues claiming he needed cash to cure his sister's cancer, court hears

A police sergeant borrowed more than HK$129,000 from his subordinates, claiming he needed the money to cure his sister's cancer and support his daughter's overseas studies, a court heard yesterday.

Yau Chun-kit, 40, pleaded guilty at Eastern Court to one count of fraud and nine counts of a prescribed officer soliciting and accepting advantages.

Deputy magistrate Winston Leung Wing-chung said the offences involved a breach of trust as Yau had taken loans from his subordinates. "You compromised the integrity of the police force and the civil service. In a case like this, a custodial sentence is almost inevitable," he told the sergeant.

Leung said there was no clear evidence of how Yau used the money he borrowed.

Whether Yau used it for "betting, supporting the overseas studies of your daughter or paying medical expenses of your immediate family," Leung told Yau to explain the real reason to his probation officer.

Leung called for a background report to help determine an appropriate sentence.

Prosecutors said Yau solicited and accepted loans exceeding HK$129,100 from six police officers between November 2013 and March last year.

For example, on November 28, 2013, Yau called police constable Chong Yat-lun and asked for a loan of HK$60,000, on the false premise that his sister urgently needed the money for chemotherapy treatment. Chong obtained a loan from China Construction Bank and turned over the money to Yau.

The court heard that on August 6, 2013, Yau called police constable Tam Siu-ying to solicit a loan of HK$4,020, and three days later, he asked Tam for another loan of HK$3,000, claiming that he needed the money to "settle some issues" for his daughter.

But Leung also cited Yau's only piece of mitigation evidence, a letter from his wife: "Your wife spoke highly of you as a husband, as a father of your daughter, and as a member of your immediate family."

Leung remanded Yau to jail custody and adjourned the case to September 7 for sentencing.