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Full support by civilian witnesses in giving evidence in the court against extortion on shops is vital to find the culprits guilty, a police spokesman said today (December 4).

The appeal was made after two men charged with blackmail and theft were convicted and sentenced at the District Court yesterday (December 3).

The court heard that a restaurant owner in the Hung Shui Kiu area had been extorted by a triad gang between the restaurant's opening in July 1998 and a report to Police in October 2001.

While the restaurant was still under decoration in July 1998, a 40-year-old man approached the owner asking her to pay $10,000 as the decoration fee and a subsequent protection fee of $3,500 per month.

Being scared by the man, the owner gave him the decoration fee the following day and the monthly protection fee after the opening of the restaurant on July 8, 1998.

One day after the opening of the restaurant, a 24-year-old man together with another man turned up to collect the monthly protection money for the 40-year-old man.

Since then, the victim consistently paid the protection money until a report was made to Police on October 26, 2001.

On October 25, 2001, the 40-year-old man phoned the owner's younger sister to order a meal box with delivery but was refused because the order was less than $50.

He threatened the victim's younger sister, saying that there was no need to pay the monthly protection fee anymore and she could save it for buying coffins.

The two men, aged 40 and 20, were later arrested and subsequently charged with 23 counts of blackmail and theft.

They were sentenced to three years' and two years' imprisonment respectively.

Police Report No. 7

Issued by PPRB

End/2020 hours, Wednesday, December 4, 2002 (PW)

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