Christine Tan
Internet celebrity Lin Xuelin, also known by his Cantonese nickname meaning “heart of the dragon,” has been sentenced to six months in prison for election fraud.
Lam attempted to defraud the Registration and Elections Department by seeking a refund of HK$38,700 in disqualified election expenses during the 2020 Legislative Council elections.
Lam, 47, was found guilty on four charges, including corruption and attempted fraud.
During the mitigation action in the Eastern Magistrates’ Court, Lam Zheng, who represented him, claimed that he did not realize that he had broken the law because he was not familiar with legal issues.
Lam said, “I didn’t hire a lawyer because I thought I could easily get acquitted.”
He said he had learned a lesson from his conviction and expressed remorse for his actions.
Lam also said he had no intention of committing a crime and hoped for a lighter punishment.
However, Judge Stephanie Tsui Mayhar said during sentencing: “Mr. Lam has shown no understanding or remorse for his wrongdoing.”
Mr Tsui deemed the crime “serious and we find no basis for a reduction in sentence.”
As a result, Lam was sentenced to six months in prison on each of the four charges, to be served concurrently due to their interconnectedness.
Lam was prosecuted by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission, which enforces Hong Kong’s election laws. The charges stem from false declarations of campaign expenses when he was running for a geographical constituency in the New Territories East in the 2020 Legco elections.
Mr Lam falsely claimed to have spent HK$38,700 on facial treatment courses and hotel accommodation.
The court heard that Ms Lam bought two facial treatment courses from a beauty salon for HK$31,200 in April 2019, more than a year before she filed to run in the Legco election. He then received a refund of HK$8,700 without notifying his REO.
Furthermore, in mid-August 2020, Lam requested an extension of her hotel stay from September after the government announced the postponement of the election.
He included false rental costs on his election returns.
