Duo jailed for $3.6m school donations fraud and laundering crime proceeds
2017-10-9
A former assistant admissions officer of an international school and her husband, charged by the ICAC, were today (October 9) sentenced to jail terms up to 34 months for defrauding and attempting to defraud three parents of donations totalling $3.6 million in relation to the admission of their children to the school, and laundering the related crime proceeds respectively.
Chu Lau-ying, 28, former assistant admissions officer of Harrow International School Hong Kong (Harrow HK), received a jail term of 34 months, while her husband Ng Mei-chuen, 26, leathersmith, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.
In sentencing, Ms Winnie Lau Yee-wan, sitting as Deputy District Judge at the Shatin Magistracy, said Chu’s offences constituted a serious breach of trust as she served as a bridge between the school and the parents on admission matters. Meanwhile, a deterrent jail term was also imposed on Ng in view of the seriousness of the money laundering offences he committed.
Chu was earlier found guilty of three charges – two of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance, and one of attempted fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance and 159G of the Crimes Ordinance.
Ng was convicted of two counts of dealing with property known or reasonably believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, Chu was an assistant admissions officer of Harrow HK, an international school operating classes from kindergarten one to year 13. She was responsible for processing applications for admissions to Harrow HK and arranging suitable applicants for interviews. Ng was then her boyfriend and now her husband.
In late April 2015, Chu told a mother that she was required to pay $600,000 as sponsorship to Harrow HK in order to get a confirmation of admission for her daughter. In the belief that the sponsorship was genuine, the mother acceded to the request and issued a cheque for $600,000.
Chu also told the mother that a director of Harrow HK, surnamed Ng, would issue a receipt to the mother afterwards. But investigation revealed that the cheque was subsequently deposited into Ng’s account held with a bank.
On February 29, 2016, Chu called another mother to tell her that the result of her daughter’s interview was fair, and the chance of her daughter being admitted to Harrow HK was slim. If she agreed to donate $1.5 million to $2.5 million to the Shanghai branch of Harrow International School (Harrow SH), her daughter would be given priority for admission to Harrow HK.
After consideration, the mother decided to donate $1.5 million on condition that her daughter would be admitted to Harrow HK immediately. The mother later received a notification from Harrow HK that her daughter was admitted.
On March 4, 2016, Chu called the mother and urged her to prepare a cheque for $1.5 million payable to Ng, whom Chu claimed was a senior officer of Harrow HK.
A few days later, the mother passed the cheque to Chu when she visited Harrow HK. When the mother asked Chu for a donation receipt, Chu refused to do so, giving the reason that the donation was made to Harrow SH in the mother’s private capacity.
On the same day, Ng caused the cheque to be deposited into his account with another bank.
The court also heard that Chu informed a third mother on February 26, 2016 that her daughter ranked low in the waiting list of the admission exercise, but the chance could be enhanced if the mother agreed to the proposal of donating $1.5 million to $2.5 million to Harrow SH.
The mother revealed the matter to an assistant registrar of Harrow HK, but the assistant registrar replied that there was no such proposal from Harrow HK.
Harrow HK confirmed that there was no donation or sponsorship programme at the school entitling a donor admission priority. Investigation also revealed that Ng was never a director or senior officer of Harrow HK or Harrow SH.
Harrow HK had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Janice Cheuk, assisted by ICAC officer Caroline Yu.
Chu Lau-ying, 28, former assistant admissions officer of Harrow International School Hong Kong (Harrow HK), received a jail term of 34 months, while her husband Ng Mei-chuen, 26, leathersmith, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.
In sentencing, Ms Winnie Lau Yee-wan, sitting as Deputy District Judge at the Shatin Magistracy, said Chu’s offences constituted a serious breach of trust as she served as a bridge between the school and the parents on admission matters. Meanwhile, a deterrent jail term was also imposed on Ng in view of the seriousness of the money laundering offences he committed.
Chu was earlier found guilty of three charges – two of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance, and one of attempted fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance and 159G of the Crimes Ordinance.
Ng was convicted of two counts of dealing with property known or reasonably believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above offences.
The court heard that at the material time, Chu was an assistant admissions officer of Harrow HK, an international school operating classes from kindergarten one to year 13. She was responsible for processing applications for admissions to Harrow HK and arranging suitable applicants for interviews. Ng was then her boyfriend and now her husband.
In late April 2015, Chu told a mother that she was required to pay $600,000 as sponsorship to Harrow HK in order to get a confirmation of admission for her daughter. In the belief that the sponsorship was genuine, the mother acceded to the request and issued a cheque for $600,000.
Chu also told the mother that a director of Harrow HK, surnamed Ng, would issue a receipt to the mother afterwards. But investigation revealed that the cheque was subsequently deposited into Ng’s account held with a bank.
On February 29, 2016, Chu called another mother to tell her that the result of her daughter’s interview was fair, and the chance of her daughter being admitted to Harrow HK was slim. If she agreed to donate $1.5 million to $2.5 million to the Shanghai branch of Harrow International School (Harrow SH), her daughter would be given priority for admission to Harrow HK.
After consideration, the mother decided to donate $1.5 million on condition that her daughter would be admitted to Harrow HK immediately. The mother later received a notification from Harrow HK that her daughter was admitted.
On March 4, 2016, Chu called the mother and urged her to prepare a cheque for $1.5 million payable to Ng, whom Chu claimed was a senior officer of Harrow HK.
A few days later, the mother passed the cheque to Chu when she visited Harrow HK. When the mother asked Chu for a donation receipt, Chu refused to do so, giving the reason that the donation was made to Harrow SH in the mother’s private capacity.
On the same day, Ng caused the cheque to be deposited into his account with another bank.
The court also heard that Chu informed a third mother on February 26, 2016 that her daughter ranked low in the waiting list of the admission exercise, but the chance could be enhanced if the mother agreed to the proposal of donating $1.5 million to $2.5 million to Harrow SH.
The mother revealed the matter to an assistant registrar of Harrow HK, but the assistant registrar replied that there was no such proposal from Harrow HK.
Harrow HK confirmed that there was no donation or sponsorship programme at the school entitling a donor admission priority. Investigation also revealed that Ng was never a director or senior officer of Harrow HK or Harrow SH.
Harrow HK had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
The prosecution was today represented by Acting Senior Public Prosecutor Janice Cheuk, assisted by ICAC officer Caroline Yu.