Hong Kong civil servants warned to avoid perks after official’s bribery probe

Hong Kong civil servants have been urged to exercise greater caution and refrain from accepting any offers in the workplace, as stakeholders called on authorities to explain how the head of a government office became embroiled in a bribery case.Ricky Cheng Chun-sang, former director of the Tianjin Liaison Unit, was dismissed last week and placed under criminal investigation for allegedly accepting advantages without permission, after posting on social media about perks such as an upgraded private ferry cabin during a trip to Macau.Federation of Civil Service Unions chairman Leung Chau-ting said on Sunday that civil servants should always steer clear of situations that might appear to involve improper benefits.“Workers in non-local offices are more prone to such situations, as work cultures are different in various regions with different definitions of advantages,” he said, adding that those involved in trade-related work should be particularly alert.“The incident has sent a clear message that civil servants are subject to Hong Kong’s anti-bribery law and the Civil Service Code, regardless of where the incident takes place.”A day after Cheng posted photos of himself holding a glass of champagne in a spacious ferry cabin, he was dismissed and accused of breaching the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO) provisions relating to civil servants accepting advantages without permission.