A Sham Shui Po district councillor and three others have admitted making false expense claims of $226,000 from the council, and the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department.

The defendants are councillor Leung Hon-wa, 41, also the China Youth Services & Recreation Centre chairman, plus centre secretary Tse Yee-fong, 48, treasurer Jimmy Kong, 43, and vice-chairman Chan Tze-yui, 34.

They pleaded guilty at North Kowloon Magistrate's Courts today to a total of seven offences under the Theft Ordinance - one count of conspiracy to furnish false information, and six of furnishing false information.

The case has been adjourned until December 31 for sentencing. The defendants were remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption arrested the defendants during a graft inquiry.

The court heard that Leung, Tse, Kong and Chan, in furnishing information for applications for reimbursement of expenses incurred at 12 activities organised by the centre, had conspired together to produce to the council false or inflated invoices, receipts and cash memoranda.

It also heard that Kong, in furnishing information for an application for reimbursement of expenses incurred at another activity organised by the centre, had dishonestly produced for the council a number of false receipts and cash memoranda.

Kong had also furnished false information to the department for applications for reimbursement of expenses incurred at two other activities organised by the centre.

The false claims from the council and the department amounted to a total of about $196,000 and $30,000 respectively.

The offences occurred between September 1996 and March last year.