Then team manager of HK Water Polo Team charged by ICAC admits fraud over $410,000 government training allowances
2025-2-6
A then team manager of the Hong Kong, China’s Water Polo Team (HK Water Polo Team), charged by the ICAC, today (February 6) admitted at the District Court that he had deceived the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) into releasing government training allowances totalling over $410,000 by falsifying training records of athletes.
Koo Yu-fat, 62, then Honorary Secretary of the Water Polo Committee of the Hong Kong China Swimming Association (HKCSA) and then team manager of the Water Polo Team, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, contrary to section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
Judge Mr Pang Chung-ping adjourned the case to March 7 for sentence, pending the defendant’s community service order report. The defendant was granted bail.
In January 2018, the Home Affairs Bureau launched the Five-year Development Programme for Team Sports (the Five-year Programme) which aimed at improving the performance of various team sports in Hong Kong. The Five-year Programme was taken over by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) in July 2022.
The HKCSA was responsible for promoting swimming sports and managing various local swimming sports teams, including the HK Water Polo Team. Under the Five-year Programme, a monthly allowance of $4,000 would be released to an athlete nominated by HKCSA, provided that the athlete attended at least 80 per cent of the scheduled training sessions.
At the material time, the defendant was the Honorary Secretary of the HK Water Polo Committee of the HKCSA and the team manager of the HK Water Polo Team. He was responsible for submitting the monthly training records of athletes of the HK Water Polo Team to the HKSI for verification.
Between January 2018 and September 2021, the defendant reported to the HKSI that athletes of the HK Water Polo Team nominated under the Five-year Programme had attended all training sessions stipulated in their respective training records. As a result, the HKSI released allowances totalling $412,000 to 33 athletes of the HK Water Polo Team.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint in relation to the release of allowances to athletes of the HK Water Polo Team. Enquiries revealed that the defendant had falsified the number of training hours of the HK Water Polo Team athletes when preparing their monthly training records, purporting that team members had met the 80 per cent attendance requirement in applying the allowances.
Enquiries by the ICAC also revealed that the defendant had requested the athletes to return to him part or whole sum of the allowances, totalling about $360,000.
The CSTB, the HKSI and the HKCSA rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Mickey Fung, assisted by ICAC officer Kyle Tang.
The ICAC has always strived to maintain integrity in the local sports sector through a three-pronged approach of law enforcement, prevention and education. In 2024, the ICAC organised the Integrity Leadership Training for managerial staff from more than 40 National Sports Associations (NSAs) with a view to strengthening their governance and internal control on, among others, applications for subsidy/allowance and selection of athletes. The ICAC will continue to work in partnership with stakeholders including the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China in enhancing the corruption prevention capabilities and integrity management of NSAs.
Koo Yu-fat, 62, then Honorary Secretary of the Water Polo Committee of the Hong Kong China Swimming Association (HKCSA) and then team manager of the Water Polo Team, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, contrary to section 16A(1) of the Theft Ordinance.
Judge Mr Pang Chung-ping adjourned the case to March 7 for sentence, pending the defendant’s community service order report. The defendant was granted bail.
In January 2018, the Home Affairs Bureau launched the Five-year Development Programme for Team Sports (the Five-year Programme) which aimed at improving the performance of various team sports in Hong Kong. The Five-year Programme was taken over by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) in July 2022.
The HKCSA was responsible for promoting swimming sports and managing various local swimming sports teams, including the HK Water Polo Team. Under the Five-year Programme, a monthly allowance of $4,000 would be released to an athlete nominated by HKCSA, provided that the athlete attended at least 80 per cent of the scheduled training sessions.
At the material time, the defendant was the Honorary Secretary of the HK Water Polo Committee of the HKCSA and the team manager of the HK Water Polo Team. He was responsible for submitting the monthly training records of athletes of the HK Water Polo Team to the HKSI for verification.
Between January 2018 and September 2021, the defendant reported to the HKSI that athletes of the HK Water Polo Team nominated under the Five-year Programme had attended all training sessions stipulated in their respective training records. As a result, the HKSI released allowances totalling $412,000 to 33 athletes of the HK Water Polo Team.
The ICAC investigation arose from a corruption complaint in relation to the release of allowances to athletes of the HK Water Polo Team. Enquiries revealed that the defendant had falsified the number of training hours of the HK Water Polo Team athletes when preparing their monthly training records, purporting that team members had met the 80 per cent attendance requirement in applying the allowances.
Enquiries by the ICAC also revealed that the defendant had requested the athletes to return to him part or whole sum of the allowances, totalling about $360,000.
The CSTB, the HKSI and the HKCSA rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by Senior Public Prosecutor Mickey Fung, assisted by ICAC officer Kyle Tang.
The ICAC has always strived to maintain integrity in the local sports sector through a three-pronged approach of law enforcement, prevention and education. In 2024, the ICAC organised the Integrity Leadership Training for managerial staff from more than 40 National Sports Associations (NSAs) with a view to strengthening their governance and internal control on, among others, applications for subsidy/allowance and selection of athletes. The ICAC will continue to work in partnership with stakeholders including the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China in enhancing the corruption prevention capabilities and integrity management of NSAs.