A Senior Postal Officer of the Hongkong Post (HKPost), charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) ordered by a Kwun Tong Magistrate to perform 100 hours of community service for stocking up on postal stationery items which were subject to price adjustment and reselling them for personal gain.

The defendant, 49, had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in public office, contrary to the Common Law.

Magistrate Mr So Wai-tak also ordered the defendant to repay $380 to the government.

The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the misconduct offence.

The court heard that at the time of the offence, the defendant was the Postmaster of a post office overseeing its operation, including managing the main stock of postal stationery items.

According to the selling procedure of HKPost, every Postal Officer has to purchase postal stationery items from the main stock kept by the Postmaster. The items will then be sold to the public at the prescribed prices.

On October 16, 2008, the HKPost issued to all Postmasters a memorandum, stipulating that the selling prices of most postal stationery items would be increased by around 16% from November 1 the same year.

The court heard that the defendant knew about the price adjustment in his official capacity.

On October 30 and 31, 2008, the defendant paid a total of $10,340 to buy all 930 postal stationery items at the concerned post office that were subject to price adjustment.

The defendant then kept these items at the back office of the said post office.

Between November 1 and 11, 2008, the defendant sold 165 items of the aforesaid stocks at new prices to two Postal Officers, who then sold them to the public.

The court heard that the defendant's act ceased when he was arrested by ICAC officers on December 5, 2008, thus limiting his personal gain to $380, being the price differences.

The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Michael Leung, assisted by ICAC officer Esther Poon.