A mainland Chinese woman was sentenced on Tuesday to three months in prison, suspended for 18 months, for destroying evidence when attempting to bribe the assistant principal of a Tuen Mun secondary school to secure her son’s admission.
The case alleged that the 39-year-old defendant, Cai Yu, attempted to bribe the assistant principal of CMA Choi Cheung Kok Secondary School, surnamed Hung, with 10,000 yuan (around HK$11,530) to arrange her son’s enrollment in Form Two.
Hung refused the bribe and informed the principal. Cai later deleted all messages between them on the phone after a meeting.
Cai and Hung were both charged with perverting the course of justice for destroying or interfering with information needed for an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation in September 2024.
Cai pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for 18 months. Hung pleaded not guilty and was acquitted.
The defense argued in mitigation that Cai is a mainland resident currently living in Shenzhen with a 15-year-old son and her elderly mother. She works as a hotel receptionist, earning approximately HK$5,000 per month to support the family as she is unmarried.
The defense said that after Cai learned Hung had reported the case to the ICAC, she deleted the WhatsApp message in panic, underestimating the legal consequences. She pleaded guilty early and expressed deep regret for her actions.
During her bail period, she was not allowed to leave Hong Kong. The defense added that being stranded in Hong Kong for nearly six months prevented her from working, forcing her to cover her living expenses. She was also worried about her mother’s mobility issues and experienced significant mental and emotional stress.
As Cai had made every effort to cooperate with the ICAC and testify in court, the defense asked the court to grant her a suspended sentence.
The judge noted that Cai pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution without concealment, and she was unable to work to support herself while on bail and had to pay for her living expenses in Hong Kong. Although perverting the course of justice generally carries an immediate custodial sentence, the judge said this case was an exception and sentenced Cai to a suspended prison term.
