Hong Kong court tells former ESF worker accused of taking bribes for kindergarten placements to surrender travel documents
- Fatima Rumjahn, 52, stands accused of taking more than HK$840,000 in bribes from 14 parents to secure placements
- 10 parents have been charged, from eight families in total, while all 11 defendants were released on bail
A former kindergarten administrator under Hong Kong’s biggest international school group has been asked to stay in the city and surrender all travel documents to a court as part of her bail conditions in a case where she stands accused of taking more than HK$840,000 (US$107,024) in bribes from 14 parents to help secure placements.
Former English Schools Foundation (ESF) employee Fatima Rumjahn, 52, did not have to enter a plea when she first appeared before Sha Tin Court on Friday, as prosecutors applied to move the case to the District Court for trial.
Also standing in the dock were 10 of the 14 parents. Among the two men and eight women were a tutorial teacher, a merchant, two company managers and four housewives.
Acting principal magistrate David Cheung Chi-wai released all 11 defendants on bail at HK$30,000 to HK$40,000.
He ordered them to remain in Hong Kong, hand over all travel documents, report any change of addresses to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and stay away from all 27 prosecution witnesses.
He also granted the defence’s application for a gag order banning the publication of information that might reveal the identities of the 13 children involved in the case, except for the name of the school and the defendants.
The 11 will return to the same court on August 5.
Rumjahn allegedly received bribes ranging from HK$20,000 to HK$100,000 for each placement when she handled K1 admission applications to Wu Kai Sha International Kindergarten in three school years between 2019-20 and 2021-22.
