The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today said that staff members found guilty of a criminal offence will not only be subject to court sentencing but will also face disciplinary sanctions by the department in accordance with the established civil service disciplinary mechanism.  

The FEHD made the remarks following the District Court’s sentencing of eight former Principal Hawker Control Officers for conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

It emphasised that it attaches great importance to staff discipline and integrity and will not condone any misconduct or illegal behaviour.

When conducting civil service recruitment exercises, civil servants must strictly comply with the relevant policies and procedures, and ensure that the recruitment process is conducted according to the principles of fairness, transparency, and merits.

The FEHD said it will seek advice from the Civil Service Bureau to determine appropriate follow-up actions following the court judgment, including whether to consider cancelling, suspending, or reducing the pension benefits of the officers concerned under Section 29 of the Pension Benefits Ordinance.

Following the incident, the FEHD has reviewed the recruitment procedures for Assistant Hawker Control Officers and introduced refinements to the modus operandi and the monitoring mechanism.

Such enhancements include adjusting the representation of relevant grades in the recruitment boards to enhance objectivity and diversity in the selection process, and arranging for supervisory staff to observe interviews on an irregular basis.

In addition, integrity training has been strengthened for enforcement and supervisory officers at all levels.