Former Chiyu Bank manager convicted over ICAC disclosure
Crhk · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Former Chiyu Bank customer service manager Lau Sui-ngoh, 44, was convicted at Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts of disclosing the identity of a person under ICAC investigation after she told a family member about the probe.
The court adjourned the case to September 4 for sentencing and granted Lau bail while awaiting a social service order report.
Key Points
- Lau Sui-ngoh, then a customer service manager at Chiyu Bank, was authorised to handle law-enforcement enquiries during her work at the bank.
- In late January 2025, the ICAC wrote to Chiyu Bank seeking information on an account linked to an ongoing investigation
- The letter was passed to the To Kwa Wan branch that had opened the account, where Lau was working at the time
- After reading the confidential ICAC letter, Lau discovered the account had been opened by one of her family members and then disclosed that person was under investigation.
- The magistrate said the law was intended to stop any leak of ICAC investigation information so targets would not be alerted; the offence carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a HK$25,000 fine.
Why It Matters
The case shows that staff who are given access to confidential law-enforcement requests can face criminal liability if they pass on investigation details without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
Sentencing was put off because the court wants a social service order report before deciding punishment, leaving the final penalty to be determined on September 4.