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A Senior Dental Officer of the Department of Health (DoH) has been charged by the ICAC today (Wednesday) with misconduct in public office by providing dental treatment to an ineligible person, and obtaining illegal access to its booking system to input false appointments.
The defendant, 54, faces a charge of misconduct in public office and an alternative charge of conspiracy to defraud, both contrary to Common Law.
She also faces five counts of access to computer with criminal or dishonest intent, contrary to Section 161(1)(b) of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendant will appear in the Kwun Tong Magistracy on Friday (May 27) for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint referred by the DoH. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, the defendant was a Senior Dental Officer of the DoH in charge of its Kwun Tong Yung Fung Shee Dental Clinic, which provides free dental services to eligible persons, including civil servants, their dependents, and pensioners.
One of the charges alleges that on August 19, 2015, the defendant, in the course of or in relation to her public office, without reasonable excuse or justification, wilfully and intentionally misconducted herself by falsely representing that her younger brother was her husband who was eligible for receiving free dental service at the clinic and that her younger brother was attending the clinic pursuant to a dental appointment for her husband which she had recorded in its computer; and providing dental treatment, including X-ray examination, to her younger brother. The younger brother was not a civil servant and was not eligible for the free dental service.
The alternative charge alleges that on August 19, 2015, the defendant conspired with her younger brother to defraud officers and staff members in the clinic by dishonestly taking the above courses of action.
The remaining charges allege that on five occasions between June 5, 2014 and June 11, 2015, the defendant obtained access to a computer in the clinic with a dishonest intent. She was said to have inputted false appointments into its booking system to falsely represent that some patients would attend the clinic for dental services to be provided by her.
The DoH has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending her court appearance on Friday.
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