‘No criminal element,’ says Justice Dep’t after head of nat. security police found in unlicensed massage parlour

An investigation by the Justice department has found that the head of Hong Kong’s national security police who was found in an unlicensed massage parlour was not involved in any criminal activity, the police chief has said.

The police national security director Frederic Choi was found in the parlour in Wan Chai during a raid in late March. The news first broke in May, and Choi has been on leave since.

Choi’s case was first investigated by the force’s Organized Crime And Triad Bureau, and then by the Justice Department. Both probes cleared Choi of any criminal activity, the Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu said on Saturday.

“We have now handed the case to the Secretariat on Civil Service Discipline under the Civil Service Bureau to handle in accordance to the Public Service Administration Order,” said Siu.

Siu said that while Choi’s case did not involve any criminal activity following “fair and just” investigations, the incident still had to be investigated by a third party as the force was concerned whether Choi had broken any rules.

“The Public Service Administration Order mechanism is independent to the Hong Kong Police Force’s disciplinary mechanism,” said the police chief.

“Therefore, I have absolute belief that they [the Secretariat on Civil Service Discipline] will handle the disciplinary hearing rigorously,” said Siu.

The police chief said that Choi will return to work before mid-August as the head of the Personnel and Training Department.

According to the police force’s website, the department is in charge of “performance management, career development, postings, increments, advancements, manpower planning and all recruitment matters.”

When asked if Choi’s new post will create a bad image for the police force, the commissioner said that he had full faith in Choi’s capability.

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