Son of ex-Chinese official jailed for 6 years, 9 months for deception, laundering
Judge says Xiao Rui undermined the effectiveness of cash-for-residency scheme by deceiving Immigration Department into granting him visa
The son of a former mainland Chinese official has been jailed for six years and nine months for using deceptive means to secure residency in Hong Kong and laundering more than HK$64 million (US$8.2 million), including a bribe his father allegedly sought a decade ago.
The District Court on Thursday sentenced Xiao Rui, 37, on four counts of money laundering and one of using false instruments for offences he committed between 2013 and 2023.
Deputy Judge Bernard Chung Wai-keung said Xiao had undermined the effectiveness of a cash-for-residency scheme by deceiving the Immigration Department into granting him a two-year visa using two bogus bank statements.
While acknowledging the lack of evidence showing Xiao knew the origin of the illegal proceeds, Chung said the defendant had nonetheless handled the ill-gotten gains himself by channelling them to the city through an underground bank over nine years.
Xiao’s father, Xiao Jun, is a former anti-corruption chief at the People’s Procuratorate in Wuhan, while his mother worked as a hospital clerk in the mainland city. The couple is currently under investigation by mainland authorities.
Under the policy, mainland citizens needed to be a permanent resident in another foreign country to be eligible. About 90 per cent of all approved cases were Chinese nationals with permanent residence abroad, according to official data.