Ex-Deloitte manager remanded over 423 stolen laptops
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Former Deloitte IT manager Ho Man-kit, 40, was remanded in custody by Hong Kong’s District Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to one count of theft over the disappearance of 423 laptops from the firm’s office. Prosecutors said he stole Lenovo computers worth HK$1.2 million between September 2021 and February 2023, sold them to an electronics recycler, and later told police the money had been lost in unsuccessful stock trading
Key Points
- Ho Man-kit admitted stealing 423 Lenovo laptops worth HK$1.2 million from Deloitte’s Cityplaza office in Quarry Bay over about 17 months
- The shortfall surfaced on February 13, 2023, when an IT engineer found 399 laptops missing and reviewed live surveillance footage with an administrative officer
- The pair saw Ho, who was supposed to be on leave, trying to sell a box containing 15 laptops at about 7.30pm that day
- Ho confessed to his supervisor two days later, surrendered to police that afternoon, and 24 more Deloitte laptops were later recovered in Mong Kok
- Bank records showed he received more than HK$458,000 from the illicit sales, while he said additional payments had been made in cash
Why It Matters
The case shows how a prolonged internal theft at a major professional services firm went undetected until a large inventory gap was discovered, raising questions about asset controls in Hong Kong offices. Sentencing will also determine the court’s response to mitigation centred on Ho’s debt, family pressures and reported suicide attempt before he turned himself in