Hong Kong authorities accuse Christian charity of harbouring leaders wanted for fraud

Authorities make sharp U-turn after narcotics division officers meet Christian Zheng Sheng Association board members, accuse them of lying

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Christian Zheng Sheng College is set to cease operations next month after a fraud scandal plunged it into a financial crisis. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 6:12pm, 18 Jun 2024Updated: 7:17pm, 18 Jun 2024

Hong Kong authorities have again hit out at a scandal-ridden Christian charity operating a boarding school, accusing it of harbouring two former leaders wanted for fraud, after discovering the pair still serve as directors of related companies.

The Security Bureau issued a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, a week after the new leadership of the Christian Zheng Sheng Association said it had cut ties with Jacob Lam Hay-sing and Alman Chan Siu-cheuk, who earlier resigned from the board.

Lam was the founder of the charity, while Chan was the principal of its subsidiary boarding school, the Christian Zheng Sheng College, which was established to help teenagers struggling with drug addiction or who were on probation orders.

Police in January issued arrest warrants for the pair, alleging they had stolen HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) in donations raised to support the college’s operations. Both were not in Hong Kong.

After the association’s new board disavowed the fugitives in its previous statement last week, the government said it would consider unfreezing the charity’s bank account if it used its funds solely to resuscitate school operations, which are set to cease next month due to financial problems.

But authorities made a sharp U-turn on Tuesday after officers from the narcotics division met board members and accused them of lying.