Nine in court for alleged $437,500 NTLs fraud
2014-8-22
Nine persons appeared in the Kowloon City Magistracy today (Friday) after being charged by the ICAC with conspiracy to defraud the Student Financial Assistance Agency (SFAA) of Non-means Tested Loans (NTLs) totalling $437,500.
The defendants, who were charged on Wednesday (August 20) in four separate cases, were two middlemen and seven bogus students. They faced a total of seven counts of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
The cases arose from a corruption complaint referred by the SFAA. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, a diploma course in business studies organised by the Capital Education Centre (CEC) was eligible for loans under the NTL scheme. The tuition fee of the course was $62,500.
In the first case, the defendants were unemployed Foo Chi-man, 52, an agent engaged by CEC; bogus students Chung Ka-ho, 26, Wong Hing-wa, 30, both chefs, and Leung Wai-bun, 52, unemployed. Foo faced three counts of conspiracy to defraud, which were joint ly charged with Chung, Wong and Leung respectively.
The charges alleged that between June and November 2011, they conspired with other persons to defraud the SFAA of three NTLs totalling $187,500 in relation to the CEC course, with $62,500 for each NTL.
Chung and Wong pleaded guilty to the charges today. Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen adjourned the case to September 15 this year for sentence, pending background and community service order reports.
Foo and Leung, who denied their charges, had their case adjourned to October 6 this year for a pre-trial review.
In the second case, bogus student Mang Ching-lan, 59, a dish deliverer, faced one count of conspiracy to defraud.
The charge alleged that between August 2011 and January 2012, Mang conspired with other persons to defraud the SFAA of a NTL of $62,500 in relation to the CEC course.
Mang pleaded not guilty to the charge, and had her case adjourned to September 22 this year for a pre-trial review.
In the third case, the defendants were security guard Li Miu-kam, 36, another middleman engaged by CEC; bogus students Chan Wa-hang, 40, and Lam So-tan, 27, both actors. Li faced two counts of conspiracy to defraud, which were jointly charged with Chan a nd Lam respectively.
The charges alleged that between August and November 2011, they conspired with other persons to defraud the SFAA of two NTLs totalling $125,000 in relation to the CEC course.
Li and Chan pleaded not guilty to the charge, and had their case adjourned to September 22 this year for a pre-trial review.
After pleading guilty to the charges, Lam had his case adjourned until September 15 this year for sentence, pending background and community service order reports.
In the last case, bogus student Tang Chi-yuen, 47, a clerk, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud, and had his case adjourned to September 5 this year for sentence, pending background and community service order reports.
The charge stated that between July and September 2011, Tang conspired with other persons to defraud the SFAA of a NTL of $62,500 by the same fraudulent means.
The SFAA had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Jacky Ng.
The defendants, who were charged on Wednesday (August 20) in four separate cases, were two middlemen and seven bogus students. They faced a total of seven counts of conspiracy to defraud, contrary to Common Law.
The cases arose from a corruption complaint referred by the SFAA. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offences.
At the material time, a diploma course in business studies organised by the Capital Education Centre (CEC) was eligible for loans under the NTL scheme. The tuition fee of the course was $62,500.
In the first case, the defendants were unemployed Foo Chi-man, 52, an agent engaged by CEC; bogus students Chung Ka-ho, 26, Wong Hing-wa, 30, both chefs, and Leung Wai-bun, 52, unemployed. Foo faced three counts of conspiracy to defraud, which were joint ly charged with Chung, Wong and Leung respectively.
The charges alleged that between June and November 2011, they conspired with other persons to defraud the SFAA of three NTLs totalling $187,500 in relation to the CEC course, with $62,500 for each NTL.
Chung and Wong pleaded guilty to the charges today. Principal Magistrate Mr Peter Law Tak-chuen adjourned the case to September 15 this year for sentence, pending background and community service order reports.
Foo and Leung, who denied their charges, had their case adjourned to October 6 this year for a pre-trial review.
In the second case, bogus student Mang Ching-lan, 59, a dish deliverer, faced one count of conspiracy to defraud.
The charge alleged that between August 2011 and January 2012, Mang conspired with other persons to defraud the SFAA of a NTL of $62,500 in relation to the CEC course.
Mang pleaded not guilty to the charge, and had her case adjourned to September 22 this year for a pre-trial review.
In the third case, the defendants were security guard Li Miu-kam, 36, another middleman engaged by CEC; bogus students Chan Wa-hang, 40, and Lam So-tan, 27, both actors. Li faced two counts of conspiracy to defraud, which were jointly charged with Chan a nd Lam respectively.
The charges alleged that between August and November 2011, they conspired with other persons to defraud the SFAA of two NTLs totalling $125,000 in relation to the CEC course.
Li and Chan pleaded not guilty to the charge, and had their case adjourned to September 22 this year for a pre-trial review.
After pleading guilty to the charges, Lam had his case adjourned until September 15 this year for sentence, pending background and community service order reports.
In the last case, bogus student Tang Chi-yuen, 47, a clerk, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud, and had his case adjourned to September 5 this year for sentence, pending background and community service order reports.
The charge stated that between July and September 2011, Tang conspired with other persons to defraud the SFAA of a NTL of $62,500 by the same fraudulent means.
The SFAA had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Jacky Ng.