A top music academic yesterday was convicted of fraud over a HK$1.9 million tenancy allowance after a judge found he was fully aware the flat he rented was owned by his own company.
The associate dean of Chinese University's arts faculty, Chan Wing-wah, 52, was found to have duped the university into paying HK$1.9 million from 1990 to 1998 as an allowance for a flat in Tin Hau Temple Road, North Point.
The flat was owned by a company set up by Chan's then wife, Jean Zee Pui-man, in breach of a condition that his spouse or relatives did not have a financial interest in any flat he rented under the scheme.
The court heard Ms Zee had instructed Chan's sister-in-law to run the company that owned the flat.
Evidence on the money flow revealed that Chan and Ms Zee had received the proceeds through their bank accounts from the sale of the flat in September 1998.
Chan pleaded not guilty in the District Court on October 18 this year to two charges of using documents - an application for a private tenancy allowance filed in 1990 and a written statement containing information about the lease of the property submitted in 1998 - with intent to deceive.
He told the court he was a busy man and all his financial matters, even the filing of his tax return, were handled by Ms Zee, from whom he was divorced in 2003.