Duo implicated in $3m insurance commissions fraud involving Police Sergeant wanted by ICAC

The ICAC earlier charged six individuals, including a Police Sergeant, for allegedly recruiting family members, friends and Police officers to pose as dummy insurance agents and policyholders to take out bogus insurance policies using false information to deceive insurers into releasing payments of commissions, bonuses and allowances totalling about $3 million. While the case was today (November 6) transferred to the District Court for plea in late November, warrants for the arrest of two others implicated in the scam were issued by a Magistrate upon the application by the ICAC.

The two wanted persons are Ng Ho-lun, former regional director of Sun Life Hong Kong Limited (Sun Life HK) and former senior branch manager of China Taiping Life Insurance (Hong Kong) Company Limited (Taiping Life HK), and Kuzca Chik Sin-deon (formerly known as Pan Chik Ka-tung), former insurance agent of Sun Life HK, both aged 35. They face a total of 21 charges – 20 of fraud, contrary to section 16A of the Theft Ordinance; and one of conspiracy to make false instruments, contrary to sections 71 and 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.

The insurance commissions fraud was revealed in an ICAC investigation stemming from corruption allegations implicating certain police officers. Upon completion of the investigation, the Commission sought legal advice from the Department of Justice, which advised charging eight individuals. Warrants for the arrest of Ng and Chik, who had already left Hong Kong, were issued by a Magistrate upon the application by the ICAC.

The six defendants charged earlier are Lam Hin-ho, Police Sergeant, his elder brother Lam Chun-pong, his sister-in-law Yu Xiaodan, his friend Lau Chun-yee (formerly known as Lau Man-yee), Osbert Hui Yee, solicitor, and Sze Hong-chak, Police Constable, who posed as dummy downline insurance agents or dummy policyholders respectively.

They face the 21 counts of fraud and conspiracy to make false instruments in the present case, which was brought to the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts for mention today. The case was transferred to the District Court for plea on November 27 and the bail for the six defendants was extended.

At the material time, Lam Hin-ho was a Police Sergeant. He was not an insurance agent eligible to sell any insurance product. Ng was once a regional director of Sun Life HK and then a senior branch manager of Taiping Life HK.

Enquiries revealed that Lam Hin-ho and Ng had allegedly recruited certain individuals, including Lam Hin-ho’s family members, friends and Police colleagues, to pose as dummy downline insurance agents and dummy policyholders to take out 20 insurance policies with Sun Life HK and Taiping Life HK and pay for the premiums.

After underwriting the insurance policies, Sun Life HK and Taiping Life HK had respectively released payments, including commissions, bonuses and allowances, totalling about $1 million and about $2 million to the insurance agents concerned. In addition, Lam Hin-ho and Ng had allegedly arranged Lau to join Taiping Life HK to take part in the scam by using false academic qualifications documents.

The 20 fraud charges allege that between December 2016 and June 2024, Lam Hin-ho and Ng, together with the six individuals implicated and other dummy downline agents and policyholders, made false representations to Sun Life HK and Taiping Life HK on different occasions, and with intent to defraud, induced the two insurers to underwrite the 20 insurance policies in the present case and release to the agents concerned payments, including relevant commissions, bonuses and allowances.

It is alleged that they had falsely represented to Sun Life HK and Taiping Life HK that the insurance policy applications concerned were genuine; the relevant premiums or contributions were settled by the policyholders; and the dummy insurance agents had personally interviewed the applicants. The relevant premiums were paid by the defendants and their associates.

The remaining charge alleges that between January and May 2021, Lam Hin-ho, Ng and Lau had conspired together with other persons to make false instruments, including academic qualifications, with the intention to induce Taiping Life HK to accept them as genuine.

The Police, Sun Life HK and Taiping Life HK rendered assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.

The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Sebastian Louie.

Wanted persons:
Ng Ho-lun: www.icac.org.hk/en/rc/wanted/index_id_78.html
Kuzca Chik Sin-deon: www.icac.org.hk/en/rc/wanted/index_id_79.html