Ex-assistant manager of charitable organisation charged with $400,000 fraud over employment
2019-4-2
A former assistant manager of a charitable organisation has been charged by the ICAC today (April 2) with fraud by using false academic and professional qualifications to induce the organisation to offer employment to him and pay him salaries totalling about $400,000.
Johnny Wong Kwok-leung, 58, former assistant manager of Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong) Charity Limited (FoE(HK)), faces a charge of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.
The defendant will appear at the Eastern Magistracy on Thursday (April 4) for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offence.
At the material time, the defendant applied for the post of project officer of FoE(HK), which is also one of green groups in Hong Kong.
The charge alleges that between February 14 and April 24, 2017, the defendant falsely represented to FoE(HK) that he held a Master Degree of Economics awarded by the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and an associate membership of The Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CICPA), and with intent to defraud, induced FoE(HK) to offer employment to him, which resulted in benefit to him or prejudice to FoE(HK).
ICAC enquiries revealed that HKBU did not offer any programme of Master of Economics, while CICPA did not have any associate membership.
As a result of the false academic and professional qualifications, FoE(HK) employed the defendant as an assistant manager at a monthly salary of over $31,000 on May 4, 2017. Having served in FoE(HK) for over one year, he tendered his resignation which took effect on June 7, 2018. During his employment with FoE(HK), the defendant had received salary payments of about $400,000 in total.
Had FoE(HK) known that the qualifications of the defendant were not true, FoE(HK) would not have offered employment to him.
FoE(HK) has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance on Thursday.
Johnny Wong Kwok-leung, 58, former assistant manager of Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong) Charity Limited (FoE(HK)), faces a charge of fraud, contrary to Section 16A of the Theft Ordinance.
The defendant will appear at the Eastern Magistracy on Thursday (April 4) for plea.
The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent ICAC enquiries revealed the above alleged offence.
At the material time, the defendant applied for the post of project officer of FoE(HK), which is also one of green groups in Hong Kong.
The charge alleges that between February 14 and April 24, 2017, the defendant falsely represented to FoE(HK) that he held a Master Degree of Economics awarded by the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and an associate membership of The Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CICPA), and with intent to defraud, induced FoE(HK) to offer employment to him, which resulted in benefit to him or prejudice to FoE(HK).
ICAC enquiries revealed that HKBU did not offer any programme of Master of Economics, while CICPA did not have any associate membership.
As a result of the false academic and professional qualifications, FoE(HK) employed the defendant as an assistant manager at a monthly salary of over $31,000 on May 4, 2017. Having served in FoE(HK) for over one year, he tendered his resignation which took effect on June 7, 2018. During his employment with FoE(HK), the defendant had received salary payments of about $400,000 in total.
Had FoE(HK) known that the qualifications of the defendant were not true, FoE(HK) would not have offered employment to him.
FoE(HK) has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The defendant has been released on ICAC bail, pending his court appearance on Thursday.