Former TSL manager jailed over HK$11 million diamond theft
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
A former purchasing manager at TSL Jewellery, Mui Ka-fai, 63, was sentenced to 6 years and 8 months in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of theft. The court heard he abused his role over about seven years to take diamonds supplied to the company, resell them, and use the money for gambling.
Key Points
- Mui Ka-fai admitted three theft charges linked to offences between April 24, 2023 and February 22, 2024, involving 2,557.35 carats of diamonds from three suppliers
- The suppliers were ISKKON Gems, R.A. Gem Centre Ltd and KGK Jewellery (HK) Ltd, all of which suffered substantial losses in the case
- Mui had worked at TSL since 1988 as a purchasing manager, handling procurement of melee diamonds below 0.08 carat and arranging shipments to mainland China for quality inspection
- TSL required all diamond purchases to be entered into its computer system and supported by consignment records, while supplier diamonds were only for inspection and had to be returned on request
- After learning in 2024 that he would be laid off, Mui appeared unusually agitated and admitted in a meeting that he had taken about HK$10 million worth of diamonds between 2017 and 2023
- He told the company he resold the diamonds, kept the US-dollar proceeds at home, then deposited the money into his Hong Kong Jockey Club betting account for gambling
- When suppliers asked for diamonds back, he used cash to buy replacement stones from other suppliers and returned those instead, according to the case
- Police later found several bags of melee diamonds worth about HK$1.768 million at his home, along with consignment records he had signed and stamped on TSL's behalf
- TSL said 31 consignment forms handled by Mui were never entered into the company system, covering diamonds worth about HK$11.15 million
- The judge said Mui offended because of his gambling habit, carefully executed and concealed the scheme, and might not have been discovered had he not been dismissed
Why It Matters
The case shows how a long-serving employee in a trusted procurement role was able to exploit supplier relationships and internal paperwork over an extended period. For Hong Kong's jewellery trade, it underlines the risks around consignment stock, cross-border handling and reliance on long-term commercial trust without complete system records