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A former chair professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has been jailed for 20 weeks for accepting a HK$40,000 bribe to help an underqualified student gain admission to the university’s master’s program.
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Liu Hongbin, 63, was escorted to Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts in a prison van on Thursday. He had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for a public servant to accept an advantage and two counts of offering an advantage to a public servant.
The court heard that Liu accepted HK$40,000 to assist a student, who had studied automotive engineering and did not meet the admission requirements, in entering a master’s program in environmental health.
He also gave a total of HK$6,000 in “red packets” to two HKUST staff members responsible for handling admission applications, claiming the money was a reward for their hard work.
Acting Principal Magistrate Chung Ming-sun said in sentencing that he did not accept Liu’s mitigation that he had acted out of naivety or lack of experience, or that he did not know beforehand that he would receive money.
Chung noted that Liu had lived in Hong Kong for many years and had taught at a well-known local university. His WhatsApp records mentioned “red packets,” “gifts,” approximate sums of money, and the fact that the student did not meet the admission requirements.
The magistrate also said Liu clearly knew his conduct was inappropriate, as he had asked colleagues not to tell others when giving them the “red packets.”
Chung said the case had a negative impact on HKUST’s reputation and Hong Kong’s image, and was unfair to students who followed the proper admission procedures.
Taking into account Liu’s academic background and contributions, his cooperation with the Independent Commission Against Corruption in becoming an anti-corruption publicity case, his guilty plea and clear criminal record, the court sentenced him to 20 weeks in prison after mitigation.
A co-defendant, Priscilla Lam Pui-ling, has been charged with one count of conspiracy for a public servant to accept an advantage. Her case will be heard again next month.
