3 arrested in Hong Kong for alleged HK$1.3 million fake invoices fraud at student union

Two Baptist University students among trio arrested after union discovers funds transferred to bank accounts for personal use

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Two of the suspects study at Hong Kong’s Baptist University. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 5:18pm, 26 Aug 2024Updated: 9:00pm, 26 Aug 2024

Hong Kong police have arrested three people on suspicion of defrauding a university student union of more than HK$1.3 million (US$166,670) using fake invoices.

Two suspects were Baptist University students – the chairwoman, 23, and a member, 20, of the union’s acting executive committee – a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. The third suspect, 27, is reported to be the woman’s boyfriend.

The chairwoman was a fourth-year student while the 20-year-man, a union finance committee member, was in second year at the university, the insider said.

He said the trio were detained last week on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud – an offence punishable by up to 14 years in jail.

Detectives from the Kowloon West regional crime unit launched an investigation after the Baptist University student union reported last Monday that HK$1.3 million had been misappropriated from its three bank accounts for personal use.

“The two arrested students were suspected of using false invoices to claim expenses related to organising social events of the union,” the source said.