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A Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) foreman has been charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) with misconduct in public office (MIPO) for allegedly issuing five unjustified littering fixed penalty notices to innocent citizens.
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The defendant, Lo Yui, 41, a foreman posted to the Dedicated Enforcement Team under the FEHD's Sham Shui Po District Environmental Hygiene Office, faces five counts of misconduct in public office (MIPO).
The court heard that Lo issued the five tickets between December 2023 and February 2024 to five individuals who had previously received legitimate fixed penalty notices from him for littering in public places between 2021 and 2022.
However, investigators discovered that none of the fined individuals had committed the alleged repeat offenses. In fact, some of them were not even in Hong Kong at the time of the recorded violations.
As the tickets were not properly served, the victims remained unaware of the fines and subsequently faced court orders and arrest warrants, with at least one person arrested and required to appear in court.
The case came to light after the FEHD uncovered the irregularities during an internal investigation and referred the matter to the ICAC for follow-up.
The defendant was released on bail. The case is scheduled for mention at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Thursday.
It is understood that the prosecution will apply to transfer the case to the District Court for plea.
