Correctional Services Department Assistant Officer Lau Wai-fai, 37, has been fined $12,000 at Eastern Magistracy for carrying unauthorised letters out of a prison, drug possession and stealing prescription drugs.

At the time of the offences, the defendant was an Acting Assistant Officer I attached to Stanley Prison's hospital and was responsible for supervising prisoners and distributing medicine to inmates.

Independent Commission Against Corruption officers arrested Lau last August and seized two letters written by a serving prisoner from his locker. Of them, one was addressed to the prisoner's wife, and the other addressed to a businessman. He admitted he agreed to help the prisoner post the letters for him to avoid security checks.