Gifted school wins HK$14 million fraud claim
HK01 · 2 SOURCES1 day ago4 MIN
Summary
The High Court on Wednesday ruled for the school management body of GT (Ellen Yeung) College’s primary section in its civil action against former principal Nip Man (聶敏), who was accused of misappropriating school money over several years. Deputy High Court Judge Lam Chin-ching found that Nip made false representations about mainland school projects and improperly diverted school funds, ordering him to repay about HK$13.92 million with interest, a figure reported as about HK$14 million.
Key Points
- The plaintiff was G.T. (Ellen Yeung) School Management Committee Limited, which sued former primary section principal Nip Man in the High Court.
- Court filings said Nip misappropriated nearly HK$10.6 million by making repeated cash withdrawals between September 1, 2018 and April 30, 2021.
- The judge accepted the school’s evidence that Nip falsely claimed the money was needed for mainland school projects and related expenses.
- The court found the funds were not used for any legitimate school business, and no genuine invoices or receipts were produced
- Nip did not appear at the hearing, while the plaintiff called four witnesses; the court also ordered indemnity costs against him.
Why It Matters
The ruling means the school has now secured a civil judgment for repayment after the related criminal theft case ended following Nip’s death on the morning of his first court appearance in December 2024. For Hong Kong readers, the case shows how schools can continue civil recovery efforts even when a criminal prosecution does not proceed to trial.