Hong Kong corruption watchdog charges residents’ group volunteers for ‘lucky bags’ vote buying at 2018 by-elections

ICAC say pair gave out the bags to other residents of Hoi Lai Estate in Sham Shui Po in exchange for votes for a particular candidate

Each bag allegedly contained daily necessities and food worth about HK$100

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Ballot boxes are sorted into different constituencies during the 2018 Legislative Council by-election. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 6:02pm, 8 Oct 2019Updated: 10:10pm, 8 Oct 2019

Two volunteers at a Hong Kong local residents’ association have been charged for offering neighbours “lucky bags” to vote for a particular candidate at last year’s Legislative Council by-elections, according to the city’s corruption watchdog.

Deng Yimei, 42, and Wong Wai-ha, 52, both housewives and volunteers at Friends of Hoi Lai Society – a residents’ group in Hoi Lai Estate in Sham Shui Po, in the Kowloon West geographical constituency – jointly face one count of conspiracy to engage in corrupt conduct at an election by offering an advantage to others.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption said they gave out the lucky bags to other Hoi Lai Estate residents in exchange for votes for a particular candidate at the March 2018 by-election. Each bag allegedly contained daily necessities and food worth about HK$100 (US$12.75).

Two fellow residents of Hoi Lai Estate were also charged for allegedly agreeing to accept the bags.

The ICAC has charged four people in connection with an alleged vote-buying case in a 2018 Legco by-election. Photo: Felix Wong

Housewife Chan Wai-kuen, 50, and Li Mau, 50, each face one count of engaging in corrupt conduct at an election by accepting an advantage as an inducement to vote.

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