Key facts
- Six people have been charged by Hong Kong's ICAC over an alleged bribery and fraud scheme.
- The scheme allegedly involved HK$20 million in government technology subsidies.
- Alice So Nga-lai, former Head of Entrepreneurship at Cyberport, is charged with accepting advantages.
- Viola Lam Yuen-lee, proprietor of Find Solution Ai Limited, is charged with offering advantages and conspiracy to defraud.
- The conspiracy charge alleges false representations were made to secure subsidies.
- The case involved at least 400 subsidy applications.
Six individuals, including a former department head at Hong Kong's Cyberport and the proprietor of an IT company, have been charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) over an alleged bribery and fraud scheme involving HK$20 million in government technology subsidies. The case centers on the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Programme.
Alice So Nga-lai, 59, the former Head of Entrepreneurship at Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, faces one count of accepting advantages as a public servant. Viola Lam Yuen-lee, 39, sole proprietor of Find Solution Ai Limited, is charged with offering advantages to a public servant and conspiracy to defraud. Lam's younger brother, Paul Lam Kin-ho, 35, the company secretary of Find Solution, along with three vendors—Daniel Lee, Chan Hoi-tsun, and Tsang Wai-ping, aged between 31 and 52—are also charged with conspiracy to defraud.
The ICAC alleges that So accepted gifts, including flight tickets, handbags, and a smartphone, from Viola Lam in return for remaining favorably disposed to Find Solution's subsidy applications. The bribery allegations also suggest So accepted bribes to curtail investigations into complaints against Find Solution and expedite subsidy releases.
The conspiracy charge claims the defendants falsely represented that various small and medium-sized enterprises had applied for subsidies, engaged Find Solution, and paid half the service fees. These representations allegedly induced Cyberport to approve applications and disburse the remaining subsidy amounts. The scheme is said to have involved at least 400 applications and approximately HK$20 million in public funding.
No pleas were entered. The case was adjourned to January 4, 2027, and all defendants were granted bail ranging from HK$20,000 to HK$100,000, with travel bans and restrictions on contacting prosecution witnesses.