Officer jailed for fraud after tiff

A government officer was jailed for a year yesterday for fraudulently claiming extra rent allowance after his girlfriend tipped off authorities following a row.

Environmental protection officer Jimmy Luk Chung-yee, 47, admitted misappropriating $104,775 in rent allowance when he appeared in Eastern Court.

Luk signed a two-year tenancy agreement for $18,500 per month for a flat in North Point in July 1997. He then successfully applied for the maximum government rental allowance of $25,150 per month.

The court heard that under the government's scheme, an officer must spend more than half of the allowance on rent in order to qualify for the maximum sum. Paying less than half entitles them to only twice their monthly rent payment.

On June 1, 1998, Luk's rent was cut to $9,700 and he failed to notify the government's Director of Acounting Services (DAS), as required. He then moved to a flat in Causeway Bay in February 1999, where he paid $5,000 rent. Again Luk did not report the reduction.

In August the same year, the DAS asked Luk to present a rental receipt. He forged the signature of his ex-landlady to say he was still renting the North Point flat.