
Retired Hong Kong social worker admits defrauding authorities out of HK$16,780
Eddie Tse Sai-kit on Thursday pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud for obtaining monthly aid of HK$4,195 on four occasions without notifying the Social Welfare Department that his income exceeded the limit for receiving an old age living allowance.
The 68-year-old defendant was arrested early this year while he was challenging an environmental impact assessment report that endorsed the development of a
technology hub near the mainland Chinese border.
Despite securing permission from the High Court to commence judicial review proceedings, Tse later
dropped the case , citing 'widespread harassment and intimidation'.
The court heard that Tse had applied for an old age living allowance in June 2023 and claimed his monthly income was HK$5,000, which was below the then limit of HK$10,710.
He received a total of HK$80,460 from the department between July 2023 and December 2024.
But the social worker failed to declare his earnings from Polytechnic University, where he had worked as a part-time supervisor from January 2021 to May this year.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


HKFP
11 hours ago
- HKFP
Fraudsters stole Asia Miles and accessed data from 1,000 loyalty accounts, airline Cathay Pacific says
Airline Cathay Pacific has apologised after customer data was breached and frequent flyer miles were stolen from some Asia Miles accounts. Personal particulars and travel details were exposed, though no credit card information was at risk, the flagship carrier said in a Thursday statement. 'Our preliminary investigation suggests that Asia Miles theft by unauthorised parties was the primary motivation, though the misuse of personal data remains a possibility,' the statement said. 'We have identified that approximately 1,000 Cathay accounts, most of which belong to Hong Kong-based members, were impacted by this incident,' the carrier added. Cathay said that it has already been in touch with the majority of affected members, reinstated their lost Asia Miles and restored their accounts. Remaining members are being identified, and their accounts have been temporarily locked for security purposes. Cybersecurity incidents The incident was reported to the authorities, including The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Cathay said. On Monday, Hongkong Post said that a cyberattack on its online shipping portal may have exposed the personal data of senders and recipients. The PCPD, Hong Kong's privacy watchdog, said in November that 70 per cent of Hong Kong companies had experienced some form of cyberattack in the past year. In March, Hong Kong lawmakers passed a law meant to enhance safeguards for the city's key infrastructure systems against cyberattacks, imposing fines of up to HK$5 million for cybersecurity lapses.


South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China steps up to protect trade war edge as rare earth smugglers get creative
Beijing has further institutionalised its export-control regime on critical minerals – widely considered a trump card held by Chinese authorities in trade negotiations with the US – as officials intensify crackdowns on smuggling. In the two months since China launched a campaign to combat illegal exports of strategic minerals, authorities have identified attempts by 'a small number of lawbreakers' to circumvent regulations through various means, leading to escalating risks of illegal technology outflows, said He Yadong, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, at a press conference on Thursday. 'Government agencies have strengthened interdepartmental coordination, adopting a zero-tolerance approach and taking forceful measures against the smuggling and illegal export of strategic minerals,' He said. 'A number of illicit export cases have been investigated, with multiple smuggling suspects apprehended. 'These concerted efforts have demonstrated resolute enforcement and established a powerful deterrent effect.' With its stranglehold on the global supply chain for critical minerals, China has been increasingly leveraging that dominance to exert influence in geopolitical matters.


South China Morning Post
15 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong court says judge wrong to order lawyer to pay HK$1,400 over being late
A Hong Kong court has ruled that a judge was wrong to order a barrister to pay HK$1,400 (US$178) in compensation to other lawyers at a criminal trial for being 10 minutes late to a hearing. The Court of Appeal on Thursday quashed a rare wasted costs order made against counsel Cherry Hui Shuk-yee, who said she was caught in a traffic jam amid a rainstorm that caused her to arrive late to the District Court on July 31, 2024. According to the appellate court's ruling, Judge Eddie Yip Chor-man had ordered that Hui, who represented one of seven defendants in the trial, pay HK$200 each to the prosecution and counsel representing the remaining accused within a month, totalling HK$1,400, because he 'had to perform his case management function'. While saying he had no reason to disbelieve Hui's account or question her integrity, Yip maintained that her explanation offered no reasonable excuse because rainstorms and traffic accidents were common occurrences in the city. The Court of Appeal previously described wasted costs orders against lawyers as a 'punitive' and 'draconian' measure that should only be meted out for 'seriously improper act or omission, or serious misconduct'. Mr Justice Kevin Zervos, who penned the appellate court's judgment, said the 'minor' delay and 'minimal' costs incurred by Hui's late arrival to court clearly did not warrant such a penalty.