Police arrest FEHD man over Mark Six payout row
SingTao · 11 SOURCES4 minutes ago5 MIN
Summary
Police said they arrested a 36-year-old local man on September 11 on suspicion of theft after a colleague reported a dispute over lottery winnings from a jointly funded Mark Six ticket bought on September 5. Public broadcaster RTHK had earlier reported that the man was suspected of refusing to share the prize with 14 colleagues after the winnings were paid into his account and he then became unreachable. Multiple outlets identified the suspect as a Food and Environmental Hygiene Department staff member, described in several reports as an inspector surnamed Ling (凌) from the department's market revitalisation team. The case centres on roughly HK$30 million in disputed winnings, though some reports said the group's total payout, including lower-tier prizes, was about HK$33 million.
Key Points
- Police said a man reported on September 9 that he and several colleagues had jointly bought a lottery ticket on September 5, with one male colleague handling the purchase.
- After investigation, officers arrested a 36-year-old local man on September 11 on suspicion of theft; he was being detained and the case was handled by West District regional crime investigators.
- RTHK said the suspect had pooled money with 14 colleagues, received the winnings in his own account, allegedly refused to split them evenly, and then lost contact.
- Sing Tao and HK01 reported that 15 FEHD staff in the market revitalisation team pooled money for the HK$228 million draw and won a half-share first prize worth about HK$31 million.
- One Sing Tao report said the group chose one number each, bought two HK$5 banker-and-combination tickets, and also won second, third and smaller prizes for a total of about HK$33 million.
Why It Matters
The case shows how informal office lottery pools can turn into both criminal and civil disputes when one person controls the betting account and payout. Lawyers quoted in the reports said prior oral or electronic agreements on contributions and prize-sharing could be important in any recovery action and in assessing dishonest intent.