Kong Chi faces 21 years in prison for corruption charges

The Court of Final Appeal (TUI) sentenced former deputy prosecutor Kong Chi to 21 years in prison for accepting bribes in exchange for interfering in several criminal investigations, filing illegal cases, and retrieving seized property.

In a statement issued by TUI, the court also sentenced business couple Choi Sao Ieng and Ng Wai Chu to 16 years and 10 years in prison, respectively, for conspiring with Kong Chi to engage in illegal activities.

In the initial ruling, the Court of Second Instance sentenced Kong Chi to 17 years in prison, Choi to 14 years, and Ng to six years.

The court initially convicted the trio for committing several crimes, including “passive corruption for an unlawful act,” “prevarication,” “violation of judicial secrecy,” “abuse of power,” and “personal favoritism.”

Additionally, Kong Chi was convicted of the crime of “unjustified wealth.”

After reviewing the case, some charges were dismissed as unsubstantiated.

However, Kong Chi was convicted of “leading or directing a gang,” while the couple was found guilty of “participating in a gang.”
The TUI noted in a statement that, although their actions were not typical of organized crime, the sustained, coordinated nature of their offenses suggested the existence of a triad society.

The TUI emphasized that while the crimes committed by the three defendants were not typical of gang-related offenses, the evidence presented in the case revealed a stable and long-standing organization.

This group had been involved in illegal activities over several years, with members communicating covertly and conspiring to carry out criminal schemes. The court concluded that this provided ample evidence of the existence of a criminal organization. Staff Reporter