A Sham Shui Po district councillor and three others have been charged for making $230,000 in false claims for expenses reimbursement from the council, and the Food & Environmental Hygiene and Social Welfare Departments.

The defendants are councillor Leung Hon-wa, 41, also the China Youth Services & Recreation Centre chairman, plus centre secretary Tse Yee-fong, 47, treasurer Jimmy Kong, 43, and vice-chairman Chan Tze-yui, 34.

They have been released on bail and will appear in Kowloon City Magistracy on November 19 to plea on 13 counts of furnishing false information, and one of conspiracy to furnish false information.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption arrested the defendants during a graft inquiry. The alleged offences occurred between September 1996 and March last year.