The District Court has jailed two taxi company operators for up to four and a half years for hiring a scapegoat to shoulder the blame for 20 traffic tickets incurred by drivers who rented taxis from their companies.

Yuen Sun-wing, 44, operator of Silver Dragon Taxi, was jailed four and a half years, while Kwan Fat-cheong, 52, operator of Shun Po Motor Company, was jailed four years.

In August 2005 Yuen gave $1,950 to Sin Ki-hoi for acting as a scapegoat to admit a traffic offence for a driver, who rented a taxi from Silver Dragon. Yuen continued to arrange Sin to stand in as the scapegoat for five other traffic offences involving other taxis rented from Silver Dragon. Sin earned $1,500 on each occasion.

In October 2005 Yuen introduced Sin to Kwan at a meeting. Sin was then arranged to admit traffic offences for drivers of Shun Po on 14 occasions. In each case Sin earned $1,000 to $1,500.