Hong Kong taxi drivers’ association executive convicted of conspiring to buy votes in 2016 Legislative Council race
- Lui Ah-fook, along with his son and sister, conspired to buy votes in the IT sector for Legco hopeful Eric Yeung, who ultimately lost
- The trial of eight more co-defendants who have pleaded not guilty to bribery-related charges will open on Thursday
Lui Ah-fook, a 47-year-old garage owner who sat on the executive committee of the Taxi Drivers and Operators Association, admitted distributing HK$1,000 to each of the 36 – including to himself and his two family members – in exchange for using their personal data to apply for membership to a professional body that would give them votes in the information technology constituency, the District Court heard on Wednesday. The original source of the money for the bribes remains unknown.
The aim was for the group to then back tech executive and Legco hopeful Eric Yeung Chuen-sing, who was seeking to topple incumbent opposition lawmaker Charles Mok, of the Professionals Guild group. Mok ultimately won the race, with 6,253 votes to Yeung’s 3,425.
Lui pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to engage in corrupt conduct at an election by offering an advantage to others. He was formally convicted on Wednesday after agreeing to the prosecution’s case. His sister, accounting clerk Lui Wai-fong, 41, and his son, student Lui King-yin, 24, also pleaded guilty to the same charge.
Lui Ah-fook and his sister’s brother-in-law, construction worker Chan Ki-nam, 50, also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of engaging in corrupt conduct at an election by accepting an advantage.
Judge Katherine Lo Kit-yee allowed all four defendants to remain out on bail until the mitigation hearing on August 26.
