Man sentenced for counterfeit banknotes related offences

A 24-year-old man was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment upon conviction of counterfeit banknotes related offences at the District Court yesterday (May 30).

The court heard that in the afternoon of January 24, 2007, the man boarded a taxi at Baker Street near Gillies Avenue South, Hunghom for Mei King Street. The man told the driver that he had no Hong Kong dollars and requested to pay the fare in Renminbi. Upon reaching the destination, the man paid the taxi fare of HK$22 with a RMB$100 banknote. Having found that the banknote was of inferior quality, the driver asked the man for another one. However, he found that the other banknote bore the same serial number as the earlier one. A report was then made to the Police. The man was later arrested by the Police.

On January 26, 2007, when the driver took over the taxi from the night shift driver, he found a pile of 20 pieces of RMB$100 banknotes under the mattress at the rear passenger seat. These notes were surrendered to the Police by the driver. Police later found that five of the banknotes bore the same serial number as the two used to pay for the fare by the man two days ago. The Police later identified that all the banknotes were counterfeit.

The man claimed that the 22 pieces of RMB$100 banknotes were found in the taxi upon boarding it. He denied having the knowledge that the banknotes were counterfeit. He was charged with one count of passing counterfeit notes or coins, one count of having custody or control of counterfeit notes with intent and one count of having custody or control of counterfeit notes on January 27, 2007.

The man pleaded guilty to two of the charges and was sentenced to 20 months' imprisonment at the District Court yesterday. The charge on having custody or control of counterfeit notes with intent will be left in the court file.


Police Report No. 1
Issued by PPRB

End/Thursday, May 31, 2007