Women’s Handball Team trio charged with fraud over training allowance
2021-2-8
The ICAC today (February 8) charged a coach, a member and a former member of the Hong Kong Women’s Handball Team (Women’s Handball Team) with conspiracy to defraud the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) of government training allowance involving $28,000 by falsifying attendance records of its members.
The defendants are Ip Shi-yan, 34, head coach of Women’s Handball Team; and Wong Wing-tung, 26, and Hui Wing-hang, 22; respectively member and former member of Women’s Handball Team.
Ip faces three counts of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law, while Wong and Hui each faces one of the conspiracy charges.
The trio will appear at the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday (February 10) for plea.
The alleged offences, which took place between April and September 2019, unfolded in an ICAC investigation in connection with a corruption complaint.
In January 2018, the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) launched a “Five-year Development Programme for Team Sports” administered by the HKSI to improve the performance of various team sports in Hong Kong.
Under the programme, a monthly allowance of $4,000 is provided to an athlete nominated by a designated sports association, including the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China Limited (HAHK) which manages the Women’s Handball Team, provided that the athlete attends at least 80 per cent of the scheduled training sessions.
At the material time, Ip was the head coach of the Women’s Handball Team. Wong and Hui, both members of the team, were nominated by the HAHK to receive the monthly allowance under the aforesaid programme.
Two of the charges allege that Ip and Wong or Hui conspired together to defraud the HKSI by dishonestly submitting false information on Wong’s or Hui’s attendance of the training sessions of the Women’s Handball Team for two months and four months respectively, thereby inducing the HKSI into releasing the monthly grant of $4,000 under the aforesaid programme to Wong or Hui.
The remaining charge alleges that Ip conspired with another member of the Women’s Handball Team to defraud the HKSI by dishonestly submitting false information on that member’s attendance of the training sessions of the Women’s Handball Team for a month, thereby inducing the HKSI into releasing the monthly grant of $4,000 under the aforesaid programme to the member.
ICAC enquiries revealed that Hui’s application for training allowance payments involved $16,000 while training allowance payments of $8,000 and $4,000 were respectively released to Wong and the aforesaid member of the Women’s Handball Team.
The HAB, HKSI and HAHK have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance on Wednesday.
The defendants are Ip Shi-yan, 34, head coach of Women’s Handball Team; and Wong Wing-tung, 26, and Hui Wing-hang, 22; respectively member and former member of Women’s Handball Team.
Ip faces three counts of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law, while Wong and Hui each faces one of the conspiracy charges.
The trio will appear at the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday (February 10) for plea.
The alleged offences, which took place between April and September 2019, unfolded in an ICAC investigation in connection with a corruption complaint.
In January 2018, the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) launched a “Five-year Development Programme for Team Sports” administered by the HKSI to improve the performance of various team sports in Hong Kong.
Under the programme, a monthly allowance of $4,000 is provided to an athlete nominated by a designated sports association, including the Handball Association of Hong Kong, China Limited (HAHK) which manages the Women’s Handball Team, provided that the athlete attends at least 80 per cent of the scheduled training sessions.
At the material time, Ip was the head coach of the Women’s Handball Team. Wong and Hui, both members of the team, were nominated by the HAHK to receive the monthly allowance under the aforesaid programme.
Two of the charges allege that Ip and Wong or Hui conspired together to defraud the HKSI by dishonestly submitting false information on Wong’s or Hui’s attendance of the training sessions of the Women’s Handball Team for two months and four months respectively, thereby inducing the HKSI into releasing the monthly grant of $4,000 under the aforesaid programme to Wong or Hui.
The remaining charge alleges that Ip conspired with another member of the Women’s Handball Team to defraud the HKSI by dishonestly submitting false information on that member’s attendance of the training sessions of the Women’s Handball Team for a month, thereby inducing the HKSI into releasing the monthly grant of $4,000 under the aforesaid programme to the member.
ICAC enquiries revealed that Hui’s application for training allowance payments involved $16,000 while training allowance payments of $8,000 and $4,000 were respectively released to Wong and the aforesaid member of the Women’s Handball Team.
The HAB, HKSI and HAHK have rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendants have been released on ICAC bail, pending their court appearance on Wednesday.