Two Hong Kong men stole US$143,300 from victim in violent robbery related to Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake scam, court is told
- Ng Ka-tsun, 28, faces one count of attempted fraud, two of fraud and a count of robbery, along with Fong Man-tik, 23
- Victims of the scam and robbery were promised festive delicacies from Maxim’s bakery at staff discount
Two Hong Kong men took part in a HK$1.12 million (US$143,300) armed robbery, in which the victim was lured to the site of the attack after falling for a scam that promised him a bulk delivery of special mooncakes at a discounted price, a Hong Kong court heard on Friday.
The High Court was told that Ng Ka-tsun, 28, was the main culprit behind two scams in 2017. Fong Man-tik, 23, helped restrain the victim, who was struck repeatedly with an iron pipe by a third unidentified accomplice, when he turned up with a bag of cash for payment.
The prosecutors said Ng told his victims that he could procure them Maxim’s lava custard mooncakes at a reduced price because he knew someone working in the bakery.
The delicacy is a popular item around Mid-Autumn Festival.
While one of the victims managed to get her deposit of HK$150,000 back after she thwarted Ng’s plot, the other lost his initial payment of HK$114,000, along with the HK$1.12 million robbed from him in the brutal attack, senior public prosecutor Fergus Chau said.
Ng pleaded guilty to one count of attempted fraud, and two counts of fraud. He and Fong, a student, also pleaded guilty to one joint count of robbery, for which they face a term of up to life in prison.
Mr Justice Alex Lee Wan-tang made it clear that he would hand down a lengthy sentence after rejecting the defence that the crime was committed out of foolishness. He adjourned sentencing to July 16.
The prosecutor said that on August 9 last year Ng contacted the first victim, Liu Xin, owner of a trading company, telling her that he had a way of purchasing the mooncakes at staff discount.
He asked her to transfer money into a bank account which he claimed belonged to a transport company used by the Maxim’s group. But in fact, it belonged to his friend.
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Liu refused to make the transfer. So he asked her to meet him at a Maxim’s restaurant in Sheung Shui, where he tried to show he had a connection with a staff member. Liu eventually capitulated and paid HK$150,000 in cash, hoping to get 2,000 boxes, said the prosecutor. But she did not know Ng had only met the manager in question for the first time a few days earlier. Just like any other customer, Ng asked the manager the price of a different variety of mooncakes – double-yoke ones.
Liu alerted the police after she found out the truth when she later approached the same manager.
While Ng eventually paid Liu back her deposit, he contacted Chan Chi-shing, another victim, telling him that he had 2,000 boxes of the prized mooncakes, as Liu had cancelled the deal. He told him that his aunt worked for Maxim’s.
He managed to convince Chan to pay a HK$114,000 deposit and get other friends to also invest in the scam, which at that point, in late August, had grown to the promise of 4,000 boxes of mooncakes and 3,500 mooncake vouchers. But repeatedly, he failed to deliver either, the court heard.
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When Chan showed up in Sheung Shui with a bag containing HK$1.12 million in cash for the payment, Fong grabbed Chan by the neck from behind. A third accomplice hit Chan in the head and limbs with an iron pipe, causing a laceration to the head, which required stitches and swelling and bruising on his arms and legs.
Ng turned himself in later that day at Sheung Shui police station. Fong, who went to study in Taiwan, was arrested when he returned to Hong Kong on October 27.
