A Senior Postal Officer of the Hongkong Post (HKPost), charged by the ICAC, today (Wednesday) admitted at the Eastern Magistracy that he had stocked up on postal stationery items which were subject to price adjustment and resold them for personal gain.

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

Magistrate Mr So Wai-tak adjourned sentencing to May 20, pending background and community service order reports. The defendant was granted cash bail.

The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the said 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 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 purchase from the post office 930 postal stationery items, which were all subject to price adjustment.

The defendant then kept all these items at the back office of the 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. As a result, the defendant had personally gained $380 from the price differences.

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