Six charged over HK$20m digital grant fraud involving Cyberport ex-official
Hong Kong's ICAC has charged six people, including a former Cyberport entrepreneurship director and an IT firm owner, over an alleged bribery and fraud scheme that obtained about HK$20 million in government subsidies. The case has been adjourned to January 4, 2027.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has charged six people, including a former director of entrepreneurship at Cyberport and an information technology company owner, for allegedly bribing and defrauding the government's Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme of about HK$20 million in subsidies. The case was heard at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts and adjourned to January 4, 2027, with all defendants granted bail.
According to the ICAC, So Ah-lai, 59, the then director of entrepreneurship at Cyberport, had full responsibility for the programme's secretariat work from October 2023 to January this year, including reviewing subsidy applications and disbursing funds.
The anti-corruption body said So allegedly accepted multiple gifts from the IT firm owner, including several round-trip air tickets between Hong Kong and Thailand and Japan, several designer handbags, and a smartphone. In return, she allegedly favoured the company in subsidy applications, expedited processing, and stopped investigations into complaints against the firm. So has been charged with one count of accepting an advantage by a public servant, while the IT firm owner has been charged with offering an advantage to a public servant.
The IT firm owner, along with four other defendants, including her younger brother and three sub-salespersons, are also accused of conspiring to defraud Cyberport by falsely claiming that multiple eligible small and medium-sized enterprises had applied for subsidies under the digital transformation programme, hired the IT firm to provide services, and paid half of the service fees. This allegedly induced Cyberport to approve the applications and disburse subsidies. Each defendant has been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud.
The ICAC investigation found that at least 400 applications were involved, with subsidies totalling about HK$20 million.