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Man
convicted for dumping waste at sea
A man
was convicted in the Eastern Magistracy yesterday (Wednesday)
for dumping 12 bags of restaurant waste in the sea near Po
Toi Island.
He was fined $25,000 plus a sentence of 28 days' imprisonment
suspended for two years.
An Environmental
Protection Department spokesman said that this was the first
case, under the Dumping at Sea Ordinance, that a suspended
jail sentence was handed down and he hoped this would discourage
others from such illegal dumping at sea.
The man,
Leung Wai-man, was caught red handed by officers of the Environmental
Protection Department on August 30, 1998 when he was found
dumping waste into the waters off Mat Chau, a small island
off the southwest coast of Po Toi Island.
The waste
originated from a restaurant on Po Toi Island and had been
transferred by motorised sampan to the dumping point.
The Dumping
at Sea Ordinance was introduced to control the disposal of
substances and articles at sea and it carries a maximum penalty
of $200,000 fine and six months' imprisonment on a first conviction.
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