Mainland monk jailed four weeks for stealing statue
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A 57-year-old monk from mainland China, travelling on a two-way permit, was sentenced to four weeks in jail after pleading guilty to theft at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on September 23, 2026. The charge concerned the theft of a bronze Sun Wukong statue worth HK$2,000 from a roadside area near the entrance of Tsuen Wan Lung Mo Buddhist Hall in Lo Wai Sheung Kok Shan, Tsuen Wan, on August 24, 2026. Court facts said the hall's person in charge saw the defendant acting suspiciously, watched him place the statue into a black suitcase, and stopped him before calling police. After his arrest, the defendant admitted the offence under caution, saying: “I stole this bronze statue.”
Key Points
- The defendant, Cha Kin-san (查建新), 57, held a two-way permit and admitted one count of theft at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on September 23, 2026.
- The stolen item was a bronze Sun Wukong statue valued at HK$2,000, identified as property of Tsuen Wan Lung Mo Buddhist Hall.
- The offence was alleged to have taken place on August 24, 2026, near the roadside entrance to the hall at 8 Sheung Kok Shan, Lo Wai, Tsuen Wan.
- About 30 Buddhist statues had been placed by the roadside at the visitor car park entrance and were managed and maintained by a temple caretaker surnamed Kwong.
- At about 9am that day, the caretaker saw the defendant with a black suitcase, watched him put the statue inside, intercepted him, and called police.
Why It Matters
The case shows how quickly petty theft at religious premises can lead to prosecution and immediate custodial punishment in Hong Kong when there is direct eyewitness evidence and an admission. For temple operators and visitors, it also underlines the vulnerability of outdoor religious objects placed near entrances and public access points.