15 sentenced over fraudulent scheme
Fifteen operators of a fraudulent London silver investment scheme, which attracted 51 victims to invest a total of HK$13.5 million, were sentenced in the District Court yesterday by Judge Albert Wong Sung-hau on charges of conspiracy to defraud. Eight were jailed from eight to 32 months, six received eight-month jail terms suspended for two years, and one was ordered to perform 240 hours of community service.
The defendants - Lam Wai-shuen, Wong Kwok-leung, Yeung Chi-ping, Chu Ho-yin, Tsang Man-chun, Chan Kin-kei, Chu-Po-ying, Lam Chun-man, Tsang Pui-yee, Wong Kwok-yan, Fung Chor-sam, Wong Siu-chung, Ken Chan Kwok-sun, Lai Mei-ling and Chow Chun-lung, aged from 23 to 51 - were found guilty of operating the fraud scheme by setting up three companies in Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui between August 1998 and February 2000. Victims were persuaded to invest in London silver trading and would then be told they had lost all their money.
Worker burned in fuel tank blast
A worker was in critical condition in Queen Mary Hospital last night after suffering serious burns in an apparent gas blast in an underground fuel tank at Pok Fu Lam Fire Station in Aberdeen. The 40-year-old man was working at the entrance of the tank and a colleague was welding outside when the blast occurred about 3.30pm. A Fire Services Department spokesman said the 5,000-litre tank had been emptied before the repair work began about a week ago. The Labour Department is investigating.
search fails to find missing hiker
An search by police, fire and civil aid officers on Lantau failed to find a missing 42-year-old hiker surnamed Lo. He has not been seen since he left his Hung Hom flat on Sunday. He was reported missing by his younger brother about 10am on Monday after he failed to return home. A search was launched about 10pm on Monday after inquiries indicated he might have gone hiking alone near Tung Chung, police said.
body found on hill
A 54-year-old man was found dead at 9am on a hillside in Mui Shue Hang off Tolo Highway, Tai Po, with a bottle of insecticide police believe he drank. A suicide note said he was heavily in debt. The man was reported missing by his wife at 8pm on Monday, when he failed to return to their Tai Po flat.
boys to be put into care
Two boys aged 15 months and two, left alone on the night of January 17 at their Tin Shui Wai home while their 21-year-old mother and her boyfriend were visiting the mainland, are to be sent to a child care centre, the Social Welfare Department has decided.
French weather website
The Observatory announced the launch of the French version of the website on official city weather forecasts of the World Meteorological Organisation, http://www.meteo.fr/wwis, a collaboration between the Observatory and Meteo France.Driver, passenger hurt
A minibus driver and passenger were injured when a minibus crashed into the back of their vehicle, which was stopped at a red light outside Kwai Chung Police Station at about 6.20am.
Man refuses breath test
Police arrested a 25-year-old driver when he refused to take a breath test after they stopped him on Kowloon City Road near Ma Tau Kok Road at about 4.40am.
Mark Six
Two tickets each won first prize of HK$2,500,000. The numbers were 9, 11, 12, 14, 18 and 24. The extra number was 38. No one won second. Third paid HK$18,360.
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