Top Hong Kong school in Sha Tin ‘being looked at’ after accusation of misappropriation of funds for Australia trips
Principal of Baptist (Sha Tin Wai) Lui Ming Choi Primary School denies any wrongdoing
Hong Kong’s education authority is looking into the case of a top primary school in Sha Tin suspected of misappropriating funds collected from pupils for overseas trips over the last seven years.
But the principal of Baptist (Sha Tin Wai) Lui Ming Choi Primary School on Friday publicly denied the claim. Joyce Sit Fung-ming said money had been transferred to a teacher’s bank account to save the school from having to set up a foreign currency account, which she believed was complicated.
Media reports published on Thursday night claimed cash had been collected in Australian dollars amounting to HK$2.87 million (US$366,000), and a portion had gone to the teacher’s account. It had been obtained from almost 200 pupils to fund nine study tours to Australia in the last seven years.
A complaint letter to Hong Kong’s Education Bureau claimed principal Sit and the teacher had used the money to fund their own trips to Australia, including accommodation.
“I admit we can do better in terms of handling cash, but let me clarify that we did not commit fraud, misappropriation of public funds, or accept any advantage,” Sit said.