Six charged over HK$20 million Cyberport subsidy scam
Thestandard · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has charged six people over an alleged bribery and fraud syndicate linked to the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme. Among them is Alice So Nga-lai, the former Head of Entrepreneurship at Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, while the alleged scheme is said to have involved at least 400 applications and about HK$20 million in subsidies
Key Points
- Alice So Nga-lai, 59, was charged with one count of public servant accepting advantages while Viola Lam Yuen-lee, 39, was charged with offering advantages to a public servant
- Lam, sole proprietor of Find Solution Ai Limited, and four others also face one count of conspiracy to defraud over subsidy applications submitted through Cyberport
- The four co-defendants are Paul Lam Kin-ho, 35, company secretary of Find Solution, and three downline vendors, Daniel Lee, Chan Hoi-tsun and Tsang Wai-ping
- ICAC alleged So accepted gifts including round-trip air tickets to Thailand and Japan, branded handbags and a smartphone in return for favourable treatment
- Investigators said the defendants falsely claimed various SMEs had applied, hired Find Solution and paid half the service fees, inducing Cyberport to release the remaining subsidy portions
Why It Matters
The case puts scrutiny on how public technology subsidies are vetted and disbursed in Hong Kong, especially when private vendors act as intermediaries for small and medium-sized enterprises. With bail conditions including travel bans and no contact with prosecution witnesses, the proceedings are likely to remain closely watched as the case returns to court on January 4, 2027