ICAC charges former SFC manager over internal system access
SingTao · 4 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption has charged a former manager at the Securities and Futures Commission over alleged dishonest access to the regulator’s internal information system, including confidential information involving licensed persons and SFC investigations. The 39-year-old defendant, Tong Ka-lai, faces 12 counts and is due to appear at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on August 17.
Key Points
- The defendant, Tong Ka-lai, was a former manager in the SFC’s Enforcement Division and was 39 years old when charged by the ICAC.
- She faces 12 counts of obtaining access to a computer with dishonest intent to gain for herself or another person, under section 161(1)(c) of the Crimes Ordinance.
- The charges allege she illegally accessed the SFC’s internal information system between December 2020 and December 2024 for dishonest gain.
- ICAC investigators said she accessed information on 10 individuals and commercial entities on 12 occasions, and the records were unrelated to her duties or assigned cases.
- She had worked in the Corporate Misconduct Team, mainly handling fraud investigations involving listed companies; the SFC later dismissed her after a joint probe with the ICAC.
Why It Matters
The case concerns alleged access to confidential regulatory and investigative records inside one of Hong Kong’s key financial watchdogs, raising questions about internal data controls and staff compliance. The ICAC said its related corruption investigation is continuing, so further legal or disciplinary developments may follow.