By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-12-18 10:16:38 | Updated at 2024-12-18 13:44:50
3 hours ago
Hong Kong police arrested 25 people in almost three years for allegedly defrauding universities with bogus academic qualifications, leading to three convictions among the eight charged.
The Security Bureau said on Wednesday police had also forwarded the information of 14 suspicious agencies and intermediaries to mainland Chinese authorities as of Thursday last week. The bureau said joint law enforcement actions would be carried out in due course.
Acting security minister Michael Cheuk Hau-yip told legislators 25 people had been arrested on suspicion of using false academic qualifications to apply for spots in Hong Kong tertiary institutions since January 2022.
Eight of them were charged. Three of those facing prosecution were found guilty. Cheuk said the five others facing charges were released on bail pending their trials.
The maximum penalty handed down in the cases was 17 weeks in jail.
The cases of 17 other suspects are still pending.
Cheuk said immigration authorities had taken action against those convicted.
