A Hong Kong policeman has been sentenced to 220 hours of community service for defrauding the force’s credit union to secure HK$280,000 (US$35,675) in loans.

Traffic officer Shum Sze-long, 45, returned to Fanling Court on Wednesday to receive sentencing for one count of fraud and another of attempted fraud for providing inaccurate and incomplete information to the Hong Kong Police Credit Union during two loan applications.

The now-suspended officer, who pleaded guilty last month, understated his monthly instalment of a loan previously extended to him by another financial institution when he borrowed HK$198,000 from the credit union on March 11, 2020.

Shum had claimed that he was required to make a monthly repayment of HK$6,625, whereas the actual amount exceeded HK$15,000.

He also hid from the union the fact that he had signed up to an individual voluntary arrangement, a legally binding debt restructuring plan, when he sought another loan of HK$80,280 on May 24, 2021.

Defence counsel previously said the officer had become emotionally disturbed by divorce proceedings with his ex-wife.