5 Hong Kong health inspectors charged over stealing luxury food meant for radiation tests
- Health inspectors allegedly kept portions of food selected for radiation testing, including canned abalones, white truffle sauce and crab bisque
Five Hong Kong health inspectors have been given extra time to consider their legal options after they were charged over the theft of food samples bought with public money for radiation testing, including canned abalones, white truffle sauce and crab bisque.
The five inspectors, who have been suspended by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, were not required to enter a plea during their first appearance at West Kowloon Court on Thursday.
Magistrate Li Chi-ho adjourned the hearing until mid-August for the defence to offer legal advice to their clients.
The defendants, who were each released on a HK$2,000 (US$256) bail after their arrest last year, were barred from leaving Hong Kong and required to report to police weekly and avoid contact with any prosecution witness.
The inspectors, comprising three women and two men aged 28 to 37, have been jointly charged with a conspiracy to steal, an offence punishable by up to two years imprisonment when it is the only charge to be tried at the magistrates’ court.
They are first-grade inspectors Chan Ying-shan, 34, Lam Hiu-kwan, 29, Yu Fung-chun, 28, Lau Shing-hin, 35, and Lee Chun-hei, 37.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said on Wednesday that they were previously posted to a team at the food import and export section under the Centre for Food Safety’s risk management division.
The commission said the inspectors had allegedly conspired between May 2022 and March of last year to steal food samples bought by the centre for testing.
The health inspectors were told by the centre to buy randomly selected food samples at fair and reasonable prices, it added.
The ideal food sample size for testing is typically about 1kg (2.2lbs), according to the commission.
It said the centre barred officers from ordering excessive food samples or misappropriating any untested items, with any unused goods to be accounted for and properly disposed of.
The five inspectors are suspected of using public money to buy more than HK$88,000 (US$11,270) from five importers for two radiation tests.
But the centre told the anti-corruption agency that the five had taken the remaining goods home after testing, ignoring rules to throw out the items and keep records of their disposal.
Investigators recovered more than 80 unused food samples at the five suspects’ homes, including canned abalone, white truffle sauce, crab bisque, Japanese rice and various types of pasta.
An ICAC spokesman said it had provided refresher training to department staff overseeing food testing, while reminding them to maintain a high standard of integrity as they performed their duties.
A department spokesman said it attached great importance to staff discipline and conduct and would not tolerate any illegal acts.
It had also adopted extra precautionary measures, including refining the working guidelines, streamlining procedures and enhancing the information system for the procurement and recording of food samples by the centre, he said.
