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The ICAC earlier charged a then deputy general manager of a listed company and his mother with bribery for showing favour to an Australian businessman regarding the listed company’s investments in overseas property development projects. Following further investigation by the Commission and legal advice from the Department of Justice, the father of the then deputy general manager was charged for his role in the corruption scheme involving bribes amounting to about AUD$25 million.

Ng Cho-wong, 77, was charged last Thursday (May 28) with two counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance. He was released on ICAC bail, pending his appearance at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for mention on Wednesday (June 3).

Ng Wai, 46, Ng Cho-wong’s son and then deputy general manager of Beijing Capital Land Limited (BCL, delisted); and Han Shang-min, 75, Ng Cho-wong’s wife, were earlier jointly charged by the ICAC with one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantage. Their case was scheduled for mention on Wednesday at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts.

BCL was listed on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited from June 2003 to September 2021. At the material time, Ng Cho-wong’s son, Ng Wai, served as the deputy general manager of BCL, and also as the general manager of BCL’s branch in Australia.

The two charges against Ng Cho-wong allege that he conspired with Ng Wai and Han Shang-min between June 2014 and November 2021 to accept bribes totalling AUD$22 million and an investment opportunity contract, making a profit of about AUD$3 million, from an Australian businessman for Ng Wai to show favour to the Australian businessman and his associated companies in relation to BCL’s business.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that following Ng Wai’s recommendations, BCL invested in various property development projects in Australia worth approximately AUD$820 million in total since 2014. Most of these projects were developed by companies associated with the Australian businessman.

A then deputy general manager of a listed company and his parents were earlier charged by the ICAC with bribery for showing favour to an Australian businessman regarding the listed company’s investments in overseas property development projects, involving bribes amounting to about AUD$25 million. The Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (June 3) approved the prosecution’s application to amend the indictment, laying an additional bribery charge against the then deputy general manager and his mother while the case is pending committal to the High Court.

Ng Wai, 46, then deputy general manager of Beijing Capital Land Limited (BCL, delisted); and his mother Han Shang-min, 75, were earlier charged with one count of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance. Ng Wai’s father, Ng Cho-wong, 77, was charged with two counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantage last Thursday (May 28).

The three defendants appeared today at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for mention in two cases. Principal Magistrate Mr David Cheung Chi-wai approved the prosecution’s application to amend the indictment against Ng Wai and Han Shang-min, and to lay an additional bribery charge against them. The trio currently face two counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantage.

The principal magistrate also approved the prosecution’s application to consolidate the two cases and commit the case to the High Court for plea. The case was adjourned to July 13 for return day at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts, and the defendants were granted bail.

BCL was listed on the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited from June 2003 to September 2021. At the material time, Ng Wai served as the deputy general manager of BCL, and also as the general manager of BCL’s branch in Australia.

The two charges allege that between June 2014 and November 2021, the three defendants conspired together to accept bribes totalling AUD$22 million and an investment opportunity contract, making a profit of about AUD$3 million, from an Australian businessman for Ng Wai to show favour to the Australian businessman and his associated companies in relation to BCL’s business.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint. Enquiries revealed that following Ng Wai’s recommendations, BCL invested in various property development projects in Australia worth approximately AUD$820 million in total since 2014. Most of these projects were developed by companies associated with the Australian businessman.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Jeff Chow.

A renovation works contractor, charged by the ICAC, was today (June 4) convicted at the District Court of offering bribes totalling $1.3 million to a then employee of a property investment company for showing favour in relation to property renovation works.

Lee Shing-kan, 77, sole proprietor of Art Land Decoration Co. (Art Land), was found guilty after trial of four counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO).

Co-defendant Mak Wing-chun, 51, then senior property officer of the leasing department of New Estate Company Limited (New Estate), earlier pleaded guilty to four counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the POBO.

Judge Mr Clement Lee Hing-nin adjourned the case to June 12 for mitigation, and remanded the duo in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.

The court heard that New Estate, a property investment company, owned and managed a portfolio of properties in Hong Kong for lease. At the material time, Mak was responsible for arranging and overseeing contractors to conduct renovation works at New Estate’s properties and certifying the completion of such works before releasing payments to contractors.

New Estate had no internal procurement procedures in place between November 2020 and June 2022, and inviting quotations or conducting tenders were not required when selecting contractors. During this period, New Estate awarded its renovation works to only two contractors. Art Land, one of these contractors, was awarded most of the renovation projects and received works payments totalling about $26 million over the course of one and a half years.

In mid-June 2022, New Estate’s management began requiring its leasing department to invite companies other than the two existing contractors to bid for renovation works when awarding contracts. While Art Land had been awarded numerous renovation projects, Mak informed its proprietor, Lee, of the new procurement requirements, alerting him that New Estate might have discovered that the cost of its works was far above the prices submitted by new bidders.

The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint. It was revealed that on various occasions, Lee had offered bribes totalling $1.3 million to Mak for showing favour to him regarding arrangements and supervision of renovation works. Mak used some of the bribes to settle payments for his newly-purchased residential flat.

New Estate rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Bernard Chung, assisted by ICAC officer Timothy Wu.

A team leader of a bar-bending subcontractor of a transitional housing project in Yuen Long was charged by the ICAC today (June 8) for allegedly accepting bribes totalling over $50,000 from a bar-bender in a span of five months for continuing the latter’s employment.

Chan Kong-on, 33, then bar-bending team leader of Long Engineering Limited (Long Engineering), faces seven counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. He was released on bail, pending his appearance at the Fanling Magistrates’ Courts for plea on Wednesday (June 10).

At the material time, Long Engineering was a bar-bending subcontractor of a transitional housing project at Pat Heung in Yuen Long. The defendant was a team leader at the construction site responsible for recruiting bar-benders, supervising them and distributing pay-cheques to them.

The charges allege that in the five months between October 2023 and February 2024, the defendant accepted seven bribes totalling over $50,000 from a bar-bender under his supervision for continuing the latter’s employment with Long Engineering.

Long Engineering does not allow its employees to accept any advantages in relation to its business or affairs. The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint. Inquiries revealed that the defendant allegedly solicited a bribe of $500 per day from the bar-bender soon after the latter was employed at a daily wage of $2,450. The bar-bender acceded to the defendant’s request as he believed that he would lose his job if he did not pay bribes.

Long Engineering rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

An ICAC spokesperson notes that the Commission has zero tolerance for corruption. If construction workers are asked to pay bribes in exchange for their employment, they should reject and report to the ICAC immediately. ICAC’s report corruption hotline: 25 266 366.

The National Commission of Supervision (NCS) and the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) co-hosted the anti-corruption workshop on “Promoting Integrity for Economic Prosperity” for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Hong Kong, China. Commencing today (June 9), the two-day workshop drew participation of over 150 representatives from various member economies and international organisations and institutions to foster exchange and discussion on promoting integrity for economic prosperity and pave way for establishing network of practical cooperation.

Delivering his opening address, Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and Vice Chairman of the NCS Mr Fu Kui said, “China remains steadfast in its commitment to exercising full and strict governance over the Party and resolutely fighting corruption. Under the centralised and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, China has successfully blazed a path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics that addresses both the symptoms and root causes of corruption, and ensures that officials dare not, cannot, and will not commit corruption, actualizing the twin miracles of rapid economic growth and long-term social stability. While this year marks the ‘China Year’ of APEC and the first year of the motherland’s 15th Five-Year Plan, as an active participant and contributor, China stands ready to deepen law enforcement and judicial cooperation so as to join hands with all parties to enhance mutual learning and practical cooperation, uphold zero tolerance towards corruption, and foster integrity. So that the fruitful outcomes of ‘Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together’ can be shared by the people across the Asia-Pacific region,”

ICAC Commissioner Mr Woo Ying-ming also remarked that the workshop brought together experts with diversified backgrounds who shared a clear and meaningful common objective – to build trust, improve business environment and promote fair development through integrity. “Integrity is not the concern of one economy alone, but the shared responsibility of all. The overwhelming participation in the workshop jointly organised by the NCS and the ICAC demonstrates a resolute commitment in fighting corruption and promoting development. The anti-corruption strategy of Hong Kong, China, which combines law enforcement, systemic prevention and community education, is internationally recognised. The ICAC will continue to uphold integrity and leverage the “Lion Rock Spirit” – resilience, unity and perseverance – to build trust, stability and lasting prosperity,” Mr Woo added.

Officiating at the opening ceremony, Mr Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Secretary for Justice, noted that Hong Kong, China was an international financial, trading and shipping centre, as well as one of the least corrupt places in the world renowned for its strong rule of law. Hong Kong, China’s journey in the past few decades showed how integrity has contributed to sustainable social development and economic prosperity. While each economy would need to find its own way to promote integrity for advancing social and economic prosperity by reference to its own peculiar circumstances, knowledge and experience sharing among economies were necessary. Hong Kong, China stood ready to serve a good companion with other economies to fight the never-ending journey.

In the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Experts Working Group Workshop, Dr Kelvin Wong Tin-yau, Chairman of the Securities and Futures Commission and Chairman of the ICAC Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee, and Ms Delphine Schantz, Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) were invited to share their insights on how integrity shaped economic stability and development in their keynote speeches. Other discussion sessions included “Strengthening integrity for better livelihoods”, “Building stronger financial systems through integrity” and “Promoting cross-border investment and trade with integrity”.

Attending the workshop were anti-corruption and law-enforcement officials from 14 member economies, namely Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Viet Nam, as well as representatives from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the International Anti-Corruption Academy, the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities, the UNODC and graft fighters from other economies. The workshop also attracted various local law enforcers, business elites and academics.

Echoing the APEC “China Year”, participants gained the opportunity to experience Chinese culture by visiting the “Giant Panda Adventure” in Ocean Park Hong Kong to learn about the ecology of giant pandas.

Following the workshop, the ICAC will invite participants to the ICAC Headquarters tomorrow (June 10) for in-depth exchanges on the Commission’s latest developments and initiatives in law enforcement, prevention, education, and international liaisons.

The Police and the ICAC today (June 10) laid charges against seven individuals (five men and two women, aged between 33 and 60) and two companies with a total of 25 counts of offences, including manslaughter, conspiracy to defraud, “money laundering”, attempting to pervert the course of public justice and tax evasion in relation to the fire which broke out at Wang Fuk Court on November 26, 2025. The two cases were mentioned at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts this afternoon.

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is highly concerned about the Wang Fuk Court fire, including the relevant criminal investigations. Following the disaster, the Police and the ICAC swiftly set up the largest joint investigation task force in recent years to conduct comprehensive investigations in full swing within just six months into the causes of the fire and possible corruption in the major renovation project of the residential estate, arresting a total of 35 individuals to date.

Following thorough investigations by officers of the joint investigation task force and legal advice from the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Police and the ICAC today laid charges against seven individuals and two companies with a total of 25 offences. The Police charged three men and two companies jointly with five counts of manslaughter. Meanwhile, the ICAC charged five men, two women and two companies (including the three men and two companies charged by the Police), with a total of 20 offences, including conspiracy to defraud, “money laundering”, attempting to pervert the course of public justice and tax evasion.

The seven individuals played different roles in the major renovation project of Wang Fuk Court. They include directors and Registered Inspector of the project consultancy firm, and directors of the main contractor. The two companies charged are the project consultancy firm – Will Power Architects Company Limited (Will Power), and the main contractor – Prestige Construction & Engineering Co., Limited (Prestige) involved in Wang Fuk Court’s major renovation project.

The Police’s prosecution list:
1. Ho Kin-yip, then director and Technical Director of Prestige;
2. Ng Yeuk, then director and Registered Inspector of Will Power;
3. Wong Hap-yin, director of Will Power;
4. Prestige; and
5. Will Power.

The ICAC’s prosecution list:
1. Wong Hap-yin, director of Will Power;
2. Hau Wa-kin, director of Prestige;
3. Ho Kin-yip, then director and Technical Director of Prestige;
4. Ng Yeuk, then director and Registered Inspector of Will Power;
5. Hung Kwok-wai, friend of Wong Hap-yin;
6. Chung So-fan, wife of Wong Hap-yin;

7. Li Min, employee of Will Power;
8. Will Power; and
9. Prestige.

The Police laid charges against three individuals and two companies with jointly five counts of manslaughter

On June 10, 2016, Wang Fuk Court received a statutory notice under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme. In this connection, through respective tendering processes, Will Power was appointed for preparing a building inspection report and monitoring the repair works; Prestige was appointed for carrying out the prescribed repair works.

Following careful study of the case details and a comprehensive review of numerous documents and statements from parties concerned, the Police revealed that the companies and persons-in-charge responsible for the major renovation project are suspected of serious breach of duty of care, resulting in gross negligence in the supervision of construction materials and procedures. Investigation revealed that issues arising from the repair works include the use of non-fire-retardant safety nets and canvases; the use of flammable foam boards; and the creation of window openings at the fire escape routes of staircases for workers’ access to the external wall scaffolding. These construction arrangements are suspected of severely compromising the fire safety of the buildings, causing the fire to spread rapidly and obstructing escape routes, resulting in a large number of causalities.

The Regional Crime Unit of New Territories North of the Police is responsible for the investigation of the case. Following legal advice from the DoJ, the Police today charged the three men and the two companies jointly with five counts of manslaughter.

The first defendant, Ho Kin-yip, was then director and Technical Director of Prestige; the second defendant, Ng Yeuk, was then director of Will Power and Registered Inspector for the project; the third defendant, Wong Hap-yin, is the director of Will Power; the fourth and fifth defendants are Prestige and Will Power respectively. The five defendants are suspected of failing to fulfill the duty of care in the supervision of the overall repair works, and ensure that the materials and work procedures complied with the safety standards or relevant legislations, resulting in the rapid spread of fire and severe casualties.

The ICAC laid charges against seven individuals and two companies with 20 counts of conspiracy to defraud, “money laundering”, attempting to pervert the course of public justice and tax evasion

After the Wang Fuk Court fire, the ICAC set up a task force to launch a full investigation into possible corruption in the residential estate’s major renovation project. The task force gathered evidence from multiple sources and achieved breakthroughs, discovering fraudulent practices across various stages of the project. Some individuals are also suspected of laundering crime proceeds derived from alleged corruption.

Based on the evidence currently gathered and pursuant to legal advice from the DoJ, the ICAC today laid charges against seven individuals, Will Power, the project consultancy firm in Wang Fuk Court’s major renovation project, and Prestige, the main contractor for the project, with a total of 20 offences. These comprise three counts of conspiracy to defraud, five counts of dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence (commonly known as “money laundering”), two counts of attempting to do an act tending or intended to pervert the course of public justice, and 10 counts of offences relating to tax evasion.

The charges mainly cover four areas: (1) fraud in tendering process; (2) fraud in project supervision; (3) “money laundering” by project consultancy firm’s director; and (4) attempting to pervert the course of public justice in ICAC’s investigation.

Area 1: Fraud in the tendering process of Wang Fuk Court’s major renovation project
(involving two counts of conspiracy to defraud)

One of the charges alleges that between May 2023 and April 2024, during the tender exercise for Wang Fuk Court’s major renovation project, Will Power’s director Wong Hap-yin, two directors of Prestige, Hau Wa-kin and Ho Kin-yip, as well as Will Power and Prestige conspired together to defraud the Incorporated Owners and flat owners of Wang Fuk Court by concealing the litigation records of Prestige in the preceding eight years and inflating the score given to Prestige in the tender analysis report, thereby inducing flat owners of Wang Fuk Court to vote for Prestige and causing Prestige to be awarded the major renovation project at a contract sum of over $300 million.

Another charge alleges that during the same period, Will Power’s director Wong Hap-yin, Will Power and an employee of the company conspired together to defraud the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) by causing a tender analysis report containing false information to be published onto the URA’s electronic platform for access by flat owners of Wang Fuk Court, facilitating the award of the major renovation project.

Area 2: Fraud in project supervision at Wang Fuk Court and other estates
(involving one count of conspiracy to defraud)

Another charge relates to 86 building maintenance projects conducted by Will Power between August 2023 and November 2025, including that of Wang Fuk Court. It is alleged that Will Power and its director Wong Hap-yin and Registered Inspector Ng Yeuk, as well as Wong Hap-yin’s friend Hung Kwok-wai conspired together to defraud the Buildings Department and the Independent Checking Unit of the Housing Bureau by falsely representing that Ng Yeuk would carry out or had carried out his statutory duties to inspect and supervise the 86 projects, and signed some of the relevant reports under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme. In fact, Ng Yeuk had not duly carried out his statutory duties as Registered Inspector.

Area 3: “Money laundering” by project consultancy firm’s director
(involving five counts of “money laundering” and 10 counts of tax evasion)

In the past six years between 2019 and 2025, Will Power secured project consultancy contracts for multiple housing estates, including Wang Fuk Court. The five “money laundering” charges allege that during this period, Will Power’s director Wong Hap-yin, his wife Chung So-fan and Will Power’s employee Li Min dealt with various sums of crime proceeds suspected to be originated from corruption involving cash totalling over $40 million through Will Power’s bank accounts and their personal bank accounts. Most of the cash deposited into Will Power’s account was not supported by business records or receipts explaining their sources.

Ten other charges against Wong Hap-yin and Will Power allege that Will Power evaded tax for the years of assessment 2022/23 and 2024/25 by making false statements in the tax returns regarding the company’s turnovers and false accounting, etc.

Area 4: Attempting to pervert the course of public justice in ICAC’s investigation
(involving two counts of attempting to pervert the course of public justice)

The two remaining charges allege that Hung Kwok-wai attempted to pervert the course of public justice. It is alleged that on November 27, 2025, after the ICAC announced it had launched a criminal investigation into Wang Fuk Court’s major renovation project, Hung Kwok-wai and Will Power’s director Wong Hap-yin concealed a bag containing cash of totalling $600,000 (suspected to be part of the bribes offered by Prestige to Wong Hap-yin), and incited Ng Yeuk to make false representations to the Independent Checking Unit of the Housing Bureau.

The two cases were adjourned to September 2, 2026 for mention at the West Magistrates’ Courts. As the relevant investigations by the Police and the ICAC are continuing, further law enforcement actions would not be ruled out.

The ICAC and the Office of the Comptroller General of Brazil (CGU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday (June 10) at the ICAC Headquarters to strengthen cooperation in combating corruption.

The MoU was signed by ICAC Commissioner Mr Woo Ying-ming and Secretary for Private Sector Integrity of the CGU, Mr Marcelo Pontes Vianna. In the bilateral meeting held by the two parties on the same day, Mr Woo expressed his wish to enhance collaboration with CGU and strengthen cooperation and training with Brazil as well as the neighbouring countries by positioning Brazil as an anti-corruption hub in Latin America. The ICAC also looked forward to further enhancing graft-fighting cooperation and experience exchange with Portuguese-speaking countries and regions including Brazil, Portugal and Macau, so as to jointly advance anti-corruption capabilities.

Mr Woo, also the President of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), noted that the IAACA was an international anti-corruption platform dedicated to anti-corruption advocacy and exchange. While the IAACA had adopted a regional anti-corruption approach in recent years, both parties could leverage this platform in enhancing graft-fighting effectiveness.

Mr Pontes Vianna said that Brazil and neighbouring countries had been committed to learning and applying technologies and artificial intelligence in anti-corruption work and addressing challenges posed by organised corruption. By gaining a deeper understanding of the ICAC’s successful three-pronged strategy comprising law enforcement, prevention and education and learning from the ICAC's successful experience of over half a century, he anticipated that the sustainable collaboration would benefit the integrity development of both Brazil and its neighbouring countries.

Since 2024, the two agencies have maintained collaboration to strengthen anti-corruption efforts and capabilities in both jurisdictions, including exchanging views on global graft fight in the Executive Committee of the IAACA. In February 2024, the CGU took part in an international anti-corruption training programme organised by the ICAC – the “Professional Development Programme on Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery” – to deepen understanding on the anti-corruption regime and the rule of law in Hong Kong. Last March, the ICAC sent officers to Brazil to host the “Capacity Building Programme for the Office of the Comptroller General of the Union, Brazil”, sharing the Commission’s anti-corruption strategies and enforcement experience.

After signing the MoU, both parties would strengthen the sharing and exchange of experiences and information in anti-corruption, investigation and asset recovery, collaborate in organising trainings, seminars, workshops and conferences, as well as promote integrity and transparency in both the public and private sectors.

A then employee of a property investment company and a renovation works contractor, charged by the ICAC for accepting and offering bribes totalling $1.3 million to show favour in relation to property renovation works, were respectively sentenced to 15 months and 14 months in prison at the District Court today (June 12) while the bribes involved were confiscated.

Mak Wing-chun, 51, then senior property officer of the leasing department of New Estate Company Limited (New Estate), was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. Mak had earlier pleaded guilty to four counts of agent accepting an advantage, contrary to section 9(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance (POBO).

Co-defendant Lee Shing-kan, 76, sole proprietor of Art Land Decoration Co. (Art Land), received a jail term of 14 months. Lee was convicted after trial of four counts of offering an advantage to an agent, contrary to section 9(2)(b) of the POBO.

In sentencing, Judge Mr Clement Lee Hing-nin remarked that clean society is the cornerstone of the rule of law, once this foundation is eroded, fair competition would be undermined. The judge reprimanded Mak for abusing his authority to take bribes, breaching the trust placed in him by his employer and damaging the reputation of the company. The two defendants were equally culpable as Lee acceded to Mak’s bribe solicitations and proactively aided him.

Having considered the mitigating factors, Mak and Lee were respectively jailed for 15 months and 14 months. The Judge also ordered the confiscation of $1.2 million bribes offered to Mak by Lee.

The court heard that New Estate, a property investment company, owned and managed a portfolio of properties in Hong Kong for lease. At the material time, Mak was responsible for arranging and overseeing contractors to conduct renovation works at New Estate’s properties and certifying the completion of such works before releasing payments to contractors.

Between November 2020 and June 2022, New Estate had no internal procurement procedures in place, and inviting quotations or conducting tenders were not required when selecting contractors. During this period, New Estate awarded its renovation works to only two contractors. Art Land, one of these contractors, was awarded most of the renovation projects and received works payments totalling about $26 million over the course of one and a half years.

In mid-June 2022, New Estate’s management began requiring its leasing department to invite companies other than the two existing contractors to bid for renovation works when awarding contracts. While Art Land had been awarded numerous renovation projects, Mak informed its proprietor, Lee, of the new procurement requirements, alerting him that New Estate might have discovered that the cost of its works was far above the prices submitted by new bidders.

The ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint. It was revealed that on various occasions, Lee had offered bribes totalling $1.3 million to Mak for showing favour to him regarding arrangements and supervision of renovation works. Mak used some of the bribes to settle payments for his newly-purchased residential flat.

New Estate rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Bernard Chung, assisted by ICAC officer Timothy Wu.

New Estate rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Bernard Chung, assisted by ICAC officer Timothy Wu.

A then head of the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre (Rehabilitation Centre) of the CUHK Medical Centre (CUHKMC) was charged by the ICAC with fraud for allegedly making false representations that professional services such as consultations and procedures were personally provided to patients to defraud the CUHKMC of relevant professional fees. He also faces charges for disclosing the identity of persons under ICAC investigation and perverting the course of public justice.

The ICAC investigation stemmed from a complaint lodged by the CUHKMC in August 2025, alleging that certain staff members had submitted services records containing false information to defraud the CUHKMC of money, contravening Section 9(3) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. Following investigation and legal advice from the Department of Justice, the ICAC yesterday (June 15) laid charges against Lau Mun-cheung, 65, then head of the Rehabilitation Centre and Consultant Physiotherapist of the CUHKMC; and Tang Lai-ting, 51, then Chief Human Resources Officer of the CUHKMC.

Lau faces six charges in total – one count of fraud, contrary to section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance; one count of disclosing the identity, etc. of a person being investigated, contrary to section 30(1)(b) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance; and four counts of perverting the course of public justice, contrary to the Common Law. Tang faces one count of disclosing the identity, etc. of a person being investigated. The duo were released on bail and their case will be mentioned at the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (June 17).

At the material time, Lau was responsible for managing the operation of the Rehabilitation Centre and supervising approximately 20 physiotherapists. Under his employment contracts, Lau was entitled to receive professional fees from the CUHKMC for professional services, including consultations, procedures and operations, provided personally to patients.

The fraud charge alleges that between July 2021 and September 2025, Lau falsely represented to the CUHKMC that he had personally provided professional services to patients at the CUHKMC or its designated facilities, and with intent to defraud CUHKMC to pay him professional fees.

The ICAC investigation revealed that on various occasions during the abovementioned period, Lau instructed different physiotherapists to provide professional services to patients falsely booked under his name. In fact, Lau had never personally provided any professional services to those patients.

The two charges regarding the disclosure of the identity of a person being investigated allege that on the day the ICAC received CUHKMC’s complaint and the following day (i.e. August 26 and 27, 2025), Tang, knowing or suspecting that the ICAC was conducting a corruption investigation, disclosed to Lau that he was the subject of the ICAC investigation without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. Meanwhile, it is suspected that Lau illegally disclosed to two administrative staff members of the Rehabilitation Centre on August 27, 2025 that he was the subject of the ICAC investigation.

The remaining four charges allege that on various occasions between August and September 2025, Lau perverted the course of public justice by instructing four administrative staff members and two physiotherapists of the Rehabilitation Centre to mislead the ICAC in the corruption investigation, refuse interview invitations from the ICAC or destroy the evidence.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the CUHKMC rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case. In light of the issues identified in the present case, the ICAC has assisted the CUHKMC in reviewing relevant operational procedures and strengthening corruption prevention measures to enhance integrity management and guard against corruption and other malpractices.

The four independent advisory committees overseeing different aspects of the work of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) affirmed the Commission’s professional and effective discharge of its statutory duties in 2025. The committees supported the ICAC to uphold a zero-tolerance attitude in the unwavering fight against corruption to safeguard integrity, justice and social stability in Hong Kong.

Dr Kelvin Wong Tin-yau, Acting Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Corruption cum Chairman of the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee; the Hon Bernard Charnwut Chan, Chairman of the Operations Review Committee; and Professor Simon Ho Shun-man, Chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations, hosted a press conference today (June 16) to report on the advisory committees’ oversight of the work of the ICAC in law enforcement, corruption prevention, education and international cooperation last year.

Overall corruption complaints in Hong Kong registered a year-on-year decrease last year, with declines recorded across complaints involving government departments, public bodies, and the private sector. Private sector complaints accounted for 70% of total corruption complaints, consistent with figures from previous years, while complaints involving government departments and public bodies took up 24% and 6% respectively.

Excluding election-related complaints, the ICAC received 1,780 corruption complaints in 2025, of which 1,449 were pursuable, representing a decrease of 14% and 11% respectively as compared to figures in 2024. Public trust and support for the ICAC remained strong as 71% of the overall corruption complaints were non-anonymous, meaning that complainants were willing to identify themselves when reporting corruption.

In the government sector, the civil service remained clean and honest. The ICAC acted swiftly and decisively against individual corrupt or improper conduct and maintained close collaboration with relevant government departments to ensure integrity among public officials. In the private sector, the industries attracting the most complaints were Building Management and Maintenance subsector, the Finance and Insurance subsector, and the Construction subsector.

The advisory committees noted that issues relating to building management and maintenance were closely linked to the public, with related complaints consistently accounting for approximately 25% of total corruption complaints in recent years. Following the Wang Fuk Court fire, public concern over building maintenance works surged, leading to a significant rise in related complaints. In the first four months of 2026, corruption complaints concerning major renovation projects increased by more than 1.5 times when compared to the same period in 2025.

Dr Wong Tin-yau said it was encouraging that members of the public actively participated in building management and maintenance affairs of their housing estates. By reporting suspected corruption, the public could help the ICAC to prevent corrupt individuals from interfering in such projects at an early stage. The committee would continue to closely monitor the ICAC’s anti-corruption efforts in building management and maintenance, and support its comprehensive strategy combining law enforcement, prevention, and education to combat corruption in the industry.

He further noted that the ICAC had cooperated fully with the work of the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, submitting a detailed report analysing deep-seated structural issues in the building management and maintenance sector alongside the ICAC’s corresponding efforts. The advisory committees were confident that the ICAC would continue to provide full support and cooperation with government measures targeting corruption and bid-rigging risks in major renovation projects.

Echoing Dr Wong, the Hon Chan noted that the Operations Department maintained a dedicated team of over 50 investigators specifically tasked with combating corruption in the building management and maintenance sector. In response to the sharp increase in corruption complaints triggered by the Tai Po fire, the Operations Department reallocated internal resources to nearly double its manpower for handling such cases, addressing heightened public concern.

He added that over the past few years, the ICAC actively conducted multiple large-scale law enforcement operations cracking down on corrupt individuals in the industry, and widely publicised these real cases through the media to raise public awareness. The ICAC had also strengthened its “early intervention” strategy to prevent works contracts being awarded to criminals by promptly alerting property owners that their housing estates are possible targets of the corrupt.

The ICAC task force set up in response to the fire swiftly took law enforcement actions. Seven individuals and two companies, including the project consultant, the main contractor, and the Registered Inspector involved in the Wang Fuk Court major renovation project, were charged by the Commission with multiple counts of conspiracy to defraud, “money laundering”, attempting to pervert the course of justice, and tax evasion.

On the preventive front, the ICAC completed 67 assignment reports and provided corruption prevention advice for government departments and other organisations on over 1,500 occasions. Dr Wong noted that the ICAC adopted a “prevention-at-source” strategy and attached particular importance to areas of public concern and those involving people’s livelihood, providing corruption prevention advice to relevant bureaux/departments (B/Ds) and public bodies. Last year, the Commission provided advice to the Housing Bureau on “Basic Housing Units” and launched a “Corruption Prevention Guide on Admission of Students for Tertiary Education Institutions”. In addition, the ICAC enhanced corruption prevention effectiveness through digitalisation and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The ICAC also partnered with regulators and professional bodies from different sectors to strengthen anti-corruption capabilities in the private sector. Initiatives included launching the “Sports Governance and Integrity Alliance” and “Banking Industry Integrity Charter”, and promulgating “Integrity Compliance Management System” to listed companies.

Following the Wang Fuk Court fire, the ICAC provided advice to relevant stakeholders, organisations and B/Ds with the aim of strengthening existing measures or introducing tailored corruption prevention mechanisms, and plugging corruption loopholes in various stages from tendering to works supervision.

On the education front, Professor Ho commended the ICAC for its continuing efforts in innovations to enhance the effectiveness of its integrity promotional and educational initiatives. For example, the ICAC has been cost-effectively using AI technology to produce popular short promotional videos. In addition, after opening Café “1974” in late 2024, the Commission revamped the ICAC Exhibition Hall in mid-2025 by incorporating a host of innovative technologies, and successfully attracted the general public and tourists to experience Hong Kong’s culture of integrity firsthand.

In June last year, the ICAC led the inaugural “Building Management Summit”, bringing together over 300 participants from relevant government departments, regulatory bodies, professional bodies, the 18 District Councils, Owners’ Corporations and property management companies, as well as property owners for exchanges and experience sharing. A practical guidebook “Building Maintenance Guide” was also launched alongside the event. The ICAC will further intensify efforts to engage communities, assisting building management personnel in understanding anti-corruption laws and identifying corruption risks, while raising property owners’ anti-corruption awareness.

On fostering international cooperation, the ICAC fully leveraged Hong Kong’s unique advantage under the “One Country, Two Systems”, aligning with national anti-corruption initiatives in the 15th Five-Year Plan to share the city’s graft-fighting experience with the international community. Last year, delegations led by the Commissioner visited countries in the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while high-level delegations from over 10 countries visited the ICAC.

During the year, the Commission also entered Memoranda of Understanding with three overseas anti-corruption agencies, and effectively explored diverse modes of collaboration. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption organised a total of 20 international capacity building programmes for the anti-corruption agencies of the countries across the Belt and Road Initiative, ASEAN, the Middle East, Africa and South America, attracting about 1,800 participants.

Hong Kong continued to be rated as one of the world’s cleanest regions by various international ranking institutions. In the “2025 Corruption Perceptions Index” released by Transparency International, Hong Kong ranked 12th among 182 countries/territories, rising five places from 2024 and recording one of the largest increases since the index was first published in 1995, placing second in Asia.

effectively using AI technology to produce popular short promotional videos. In addition, after opening Café “1974” in late 2024, the Commission revamped the ICAC Exhibition Hall in mid-2025 by incorporating a host of innovative technologies, and successfully attracted the general public and tourists to experience Hong Kong’s culture of integrity firsthand.

In June last year, the ICAC led the inaugural “Building Management Summit”, bringing together over 300 participants from relevant government departments, regulatory bodies, professional bodies, the 18 District Councils, Owners’ Corporations and property management companies, as well as property owners for exchanges and experience sharing. A practical guidebook “Building Maintenance Guide” was also launched alongside the event. The ICAC will further intensify efforts to engage communities, assisting building management personnel in understanding anti-corruption laws and identifying corruption risks, while raising property owners’ anti-corruption awareness.

On fostering international cooperation, the ICAC fully leveraged Hong Kong’s unique advantage under the “One Country, Two Systems”, aligning with national anti-corruption initiatives in the 15th Five-Year Plan to share the city’s graft-fighting experience with the international community. Last year, delegations led by the Commissioner visited countries in the Middle East and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while high-level delegations from over 10 countries visited the ICAC.

During the year, the Commission also entered Memoranda of Understanding with three overseas anti-corruption agencies, and effectively explored diverse modes of collaboration. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption organised a total of 20 international capacity building programmes for the anti-corruption agencies of the countries across the Belt and Road Initiative, ASEAN, the Middle East, Africa and South America, attracting about 1,800 participants.

Hong Kong continued to be rated as one of the world’s cleanest regions by various international ranking institutions. In the “2025 Corruption Perceptions Index” released by Transparency International, Hong Kong ranked 12th among 182 countries/territories, rising five places from 2024 and recording one of the largest increases since the index was first published in 1995, placing second in Asia.

An asset management company owner was convicted today (June 23) at the District Court of laundering approximately $64 million in crime proceeds through multiple companies and individuals, as revealed in an ICAC investigation stemmed from a corruption complaint.

Xiao Rui, 37, an owner of Augustine Holdings Limited (AHL), was found guilty after trial of four counts of dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (commonly known as money laundering). He was also convicted of one count of using copies of false instruments, contrary to Section 74 of the Crimes Ordinance.

In convicting the defendant, Deputy Judge Bernard Chung remarked that the offences committed by the defendant were serious in nature. While the case was adjourned to July 23 for mitigation and sentencing, the defendant was remanded in the custody of the Correctional Services Department. The ICAC has applied to the court today for confiscation of the criminal proceeds involved in this case; the related hearing will be scheduled for a date to be fixed.

The court heard that at the material time, the defendant and other individuals jointly set up AHL, an asset management company, along with three subsidiaries. Between March 2014 and November 2023, a total of 38 transactions amounting to over $64 million were deposited into the defendant’s personal bank accounts via at least 12 companies and 12 individuals, which had no business dealings with AHL and its subsidiaries, and were not clients of the companies.

Additionally, in 2013, the defendant submitted copies of a false certificate of deposits and a false passbook to the Immigration Department for asset declaration in support of a Hong Kong residency application under the then Capital Investment Entrant Scheme.

The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Noelle Aileen Chit, assisted by ICAC officer Jeff Ng.

A waitress charged by the ICAC was convicted today (June 25) at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts of offering bribes consisting of a supermarket voucher and cash worth totalling $350 to two staff members of the Labour Department (LD) for assisting her in filing a claim for wages and severance payment against her former employer. Her offers were rejected by the LD staff.

Ting Shuk-fan, 52, was found guilty after trial of two counts of offering an advantage to a public servant, contrary to Section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

Magistrate Mr Tobias Cheng Yun-chung adjourned the case to July 15 for sentencing, pending the defendant’s background report. The defendant was remanded in custody of the Correctional Services Department.

The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint referred by the LD. Between February 2012 and June 2019, the defendant was employed by a caterer. In mid-August 2024, she submitted a claim form to the LD regarding her claim against the caterer for wages and severance payment.

Under the Employment Ordinance, there is a statutory time limit of three months for filing a claim for severance payment. As the defendant filed her claim after this deadline, an Assistant Clerical Officer of the LD assisted her in applying for an extension of the time limit to facilitate her claim and to arrange a conciliation meeting between herself and her former employer.

The court heard that on August 30, 2024, the defendant offered a supermarket cash voucher worth $50 to the Assistant Clerical Officer of the LD for assisting her in continuing her claim against her former employer. The Assistant Clerical Officer immediately declined the offer and reported the matter to a supervisor.

The defendant was later informed by an Assistant Labour Officer of the LD that her former employer would not send a representative to attend the conciliation meeting as the defendant had resigned voluntarily. The Assistant Labour Officer then advised the defendant to pursue the claim through the Labour Tribunal.

On December 16, 2024, the defendant offered $300 in cash to the Assistant Labour Officer by registered mail for assisting her in continuing her claim against her former employer. The Assistant Labour Officer immediately reported the matter to a supervisor.

The LD rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by prosecuting counsel Bernard Yuen, assisted by ICAC officer Stanley Cheung.

The ICAC reminds the public that bribing public servants is a serious offence carrying a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of $500,000 upon conviction.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) launched a joint operation codenamed “Double-edged” on Tuesday (June 23) to crack down on a crime syndicate controlled by members of the local football circle, resulting in the arrest of 19 individuals. The syndicate is suspected of operating an illegal bookmaking ring involving both local and international matches, including World Cup matches, as well as bribing football players to fix match results in local games for illicit profits.

The syndicate’s illicit activities were revealed during an earlier ICAC investigation into another corruption case involving match-fixing. Following thorough investigations, the mastermind and backbone members of the syndicate were arrested. The arrestees include a serving coach and serving and former football players from local football clubs.

Nine arrested by ICAC for local football match-fixing corruption

The ICAC arrested nine men aged between 22 and 49 during the operation, and one of them was also arrested by the Police. Among the nine arrestees are two coaches, one from a First Division of Hong Kong (First Division) club and another form a Hong Kong Premier League U-22 League (U-22) club, and one of the duo also acted as a betting agent. The remaining arrestees are seven football players: six who play for three First Division clubs, and one who is a footballer-turned-betting agent of the syndicate having played for various clubs across different divisions

The arrestees are suspected of breaching the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance by fixing the results of local football matches through bribery to enable the bookmaking syndicate to make profits.

The ICAC investigations revealed irregularities in at least four First Division matches in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons, as well as a U-22 match in the 2025/26 season. While the coach and the player acting as betting agents are suspected of collecting bets for the syndicate, a portion of these bets was allegedly used to bribe other football players to fix matches in local games so that the syndicate could profit from the match results.

During the operation, search warrants were executed by ICAC officers at various premises, including the residences of the arrestees. As the relevant corruption investigation is still ongoing, the ICAC will continue to probe the matter thoroughly and does not rule out further enforcement actions.

Illegal gambling den raid by Police, 11 arrested for bookmaking

During the operation, Police officers from the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau arrested nine men and two women, aged between 24 and 58, for “conspiracy to commit bookmaking” and “betting with a bookmaker”. Among the arrestees were five core members of a criminal syndicate and six gamblers, including active local football league players. Searches were conducted at an office and the residences of the arrestees, leading to the seizure of a small quantity of betting slips, $120,000 in cash, a laptop, and other electronic equipment.

Investigations revealed that the mastermind of the syndicate created multiple accounts across illegal gambling websites. These accounts were entrusted to associated football players, who managed finances and accepted illegal bookmaking bets from acquaintances, including individuals within the football community. The illegal betting activities covered both professional and amateur football matches, locally and overseas, at various levels. The syndicate had been operating for approximately two to three years, handling an estimated total of over $6 million in illegal bets. Police believe that the joint operation has successfully dismantled the criminal syndicate and cut off its sources of income. The operation remains ongoing, and further arrests have not been ruled out.

Safeguarding sports integrity through ICAC’s “three-pronged” anti-graft strategy

The ICAC has always strived to maintain local sports integrity through a three-pronged anti-corruption approach comprising law enforcement, prevention and education. In addition to robust law enforcement, the ICAC has launched the Integrity and Corruption Prevention Guide for National Sports Associations (NSAs) to help enhance the governance and internal controls of NSAs.

The ICAC continues to organise integrity training for footballers playing at different divisions, particularly young football players, to instil positive values. The ICAC is grateful to the Football Association of Hong Kong, China for providing expert assistance in identifying suspicious match-fixing activities in various matches.

ICAC and Police do not tolerate any illegalities

The ICAC does not tolerate any corrupt attempts to undermine the integrity of the local sports community or the Hong Kong society. Corruption will be fully investigated by the ICAC. If members of the public suspect any corrupt practices, they should report them to the ICAC immediately.

With the quadrennial World Cup currently underway, members of the public are reminded not to be influenced by peers or the tournament atmosphere into participating in any illegal gambling activities. Under the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148), anyone who unlawfully engages in bookmaking commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to a maximum fine of $5 million and imprisonment for seven years. Even if a gambling website is based outside Hong Kong, citizens who participate in the operation of such websites while in Hong Kong may still breach the relevant ordinance. Meanwhile, anyone who places a bet with a bookmaker, regardless of whether the bet is placed within or outside Hong Kong, commits an offence. Upon conviction, offenders are liable to a maximum penalty of a $50,000 fine and imprisonment for nine months. Members of the public are urged not to defy the law.