Forty-one good citizens commended for fighting crime (with photo)

Forty-one citizens who had helped the Police fight crime were commended at the Good Citizen Award Presentation Ceremony today (December 6).

One of them won the top honour - Good Citizen of the Year Award, while the rest, comprising 36 men and four women, received the Good Citizen Award (GCA).

The presentation ceremony, held twice a year, was organised by the Police Public Relations Branch with full sponsorship from the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC).

Mr Choi Fu-cheung, winner of the Good Citizen of the Year Award, helped Police arrest two of three men who attacked two jewellery traders with knives and robbed their box of jewelleries worth $3 million near their Jordan office at lunchtime on June 23, 2006.

Mr Choi, a security manager, saw the attack and immediately grabbed a metal pipe to stop the attackers. They fled with the jewelleries after wounding Mr Choi, who chased after them despite his wounds. Acting on intelligence, Police later arrested six Mainland illegal immigrants. Two of them were found in connection with the case and were charged with robbery.

Mr Choi was presented with a plaque and a cash award of $3,000. All other GCA winners each received a certificate and a cheque of $2,000.

Commending the awardees for their vigilance and bravery, the Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr Fung Siu-yuen, said that GCA was a good example showing how citizens supported and co-operated with the Police to fight crime. It also showed the importance of Police-community partnership in combating crime.

Other officiating guests included Vice Chairman of Manpower Committee of the HKGCC, Mr Matthias Li, and member of the Fight Crime Committee, the Hon Vincent Fang Kang.

Mr Li said that the Chamber had sponsored this award scheme since 1973. More than 80 brave and righteous citizens were commended each year for their contribution to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong.

One of the GCA recipients, Mr Shum Kong-tsang, assisted Police in netting three men who conspired to defraud.

On January 19, 2007, Mr Shum received a phone call from a man asking for help to sell some gold artefacts unearthed from a construction site. Mr Shum went to meet three men. During the meeting, Mr Shum suspected that it was a trap and he made excuses and left. On January 23, the three men called again for a meeting and Mr Shum made a report to the Police.

On the following day, Mr Shum met the trio under police surveillance. Police arrested the trio and seized a large quantity of fake gold artefacts. The trio were later found to be involved in two other similar cases involving $590,000. They pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud and were sentenced to imprisonment from two to three years.

With the help of these citizens, over 50 suspects were arrested for a variety of offences including wounding, robbery, deception, theft and outraging public decency.


Police Report No. 6

Ends/Thursday, December 6, 2007