Internet celebrity jailed for election fraud

Internet celebrity Lam Hak-lam, also known by his Cantonese nickname meaning "dragon heart," has been sentenced to six months in jail for election fraud.

Lam attempted to deceive the Registration and Electoral Office by seeking reimbursement of HK$38,700 for his ineligible election expenses during the 2020 Legislative Council election.

Lam, 47, was found guilty of four charges, including engaging in corrupt conduct and attempted fraud.

During his mitigation at the Eastern Magistrates' Court, Lam, who represented himself, claimed he was not aware he had broken the law due to his lack of familiarity with legal matters.

"I thought I could easily secure an acquittal and therefore did not hire a lawyer," Lam said.

He expressed remorse for his actions, saying he had learned his lesson after being convicted.

Lam also said he had no intention of committing the crime and hoped for a lenient sentence.

However, Magistrate Stephanie Tsui May-har, in her sentencing, said: "Lam had shown no understanding or self-reflection regarding his wrongdoing."

Tsui deemed the offenses "to be serious and found no grounds for reducing the sentence."

Consequently, Lam received a six-month jail term for each of the four charges, to be served concurrently due to their connection.

Lam was charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, which enforces electoral laws in Hong Kong. The charges stemmed from false declarations of election expenses during his candidacy for the New Territories East geographical constituency in the 2020 Legco election.

Lam falsely claimed expenditure on facial treatment courses and hotel accommodation, amounting to HK$38,700.

The court heard that Lam had purchased two facial treatment courses from a beauty parlor for HK$31,200 in April 2019, over a year before he submitted his nomination form for the Legco election. He later obtained a refund of HK$8,700 without informing the REO.

In addition, in mid-August 2020, Lam requested an extension of his hotel stay starting from September, after the government had announced the election's postponement.

He falsely included the rental expenses in his election return.