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Fiona Chow

A mainland Chinese student has been sentenced to 240 days in prison for using fake certificates including one from a US Ivy League university to gain admission to a top Hong Kong tertiary institution.
The student, who also possessed another forged certificate showing her graduating with distinction from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), was slammed by a magistrate for her consistent dishonesty.
Li Sixuan, 28, was jailed on Thursday for using a false certificate from Columbia University to apply for the Master of Arts in applied linguistics programme at HKU in 2022.
She earlier pleaded guilty to obtaining services by deception and possessing a false instrument.
HKU flagged Li’s questionable qualification records after it uncovered in March last year a number of students using fabricated documents allegedly produced by mainland education consultancies.
Li admitted that she paid 380,000 yuan (US$52,000) to hire an agent to arrange an online course provided by Columbia University. She received a “graduation” certificate after attending it for a few days.
After HKU reported her to police, officers discovered in Li’s possession a forged HKU certificate printed with the word “distinction”, even though she had only received a “pass” in her final results, according to university records.
Acting principal magistrate Cheang Kei-hong said the defendant did not pull back even after she had already cheated her way into HKU.
“The defendant was consistently dishonest and committed the criminal offences,” he said.
“She did not stop [doing so] after getting into HKU, she even possessed a fake certificate claiming outstanding academic performance.”

Defence lawyer Martin Hui Siu-ting SC asked the court to consider that Li did not intend to use the fake document for any illegal purposes, adding that she had been greatly “distressed” by the case and had learned her lesson.
Li hired Hui, a former deputy director of public prosecutions, after firing her first lawyer in earlier proceedings.
Hui reached a plea bargain for his client with the prosecution, which withdrew a count of making a false statement to obtain an entry permit, the charge Li originally faced.
According to the summary of facts, the defendant claimed she was a linguistics graduate from Columbia University and submitted a false certificate to both the HKU administration and the Immigration Department. She was admitted and granted a student visa.
In an internal HKU investigation last year, Columbia University confirmed via email that Li had never graduated from the institution in New York. HKU reported Li to police.
Later, she was stopped by immigration officers at a checkpoint while attempting to leave the city for the mainland, and told them that she was a graduate of Wuhan College at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.
Her defence counsel earlier told the court she was very “determined” to study at HKU.


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Hong Kong courts

Woman, 28, jailed for using fake certificates to get into University of Hong Kong

Li Sixuan’s lawyer said she had been very “determined” to study at the University of Hong Kong. Photo: Dickson Lee

Li Sixuan not only used fake US certificates to get into the University of Hong Kong, but also fabricated papers to reflect better grades at HKU. Photo: Winson Wong

Student pleads guilty to using fake US degree to get into University of Hong Kong

Defendant Li Sixuan appears at Sha Tin Court on Thursday. She has pleaded guilty to using forged certificates to apply for a place in a postgraduate linguistics programme at HKU. Photo: Edmond So
  

Police also discovered in Li’s possession a forged HKU certificate printed with the word “distinction”, even though she had only received a “pass”, according to university records. Photo: Dickson Lee

Woman charged with using fake papers to get into HKU hires new senior counsel

The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Photo: Dickson Lee

The defendant returned to Sha Tin Court on Friday. Photo: Winson Wong

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Magistrate slams her ‘consistent dishonesty’, punishes her with 240-day prison term for using fake Columbia University certificates


Magistrate slams her ‘consistent dishonesty’, punishes her with 240-day prison term for using fake Columbia University certificates.
