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Brian Wong

A former Deloitte information technology manager has been jailed for 22 months for stealing 423 laptops worth HK$1.2 million (US$153,000) from the accounting firm’s Hong Kong office to fund his stock trading addiction.
The District Court sentenced Ho Man-kit, 40, on Friday after he pleaded guilty earlier this month to a count of theft for misappropriating Lenovo computers and selling them to an electronics recycler between September 2021 and February 2023.
Deputy Judge Minnie Wat Lai-man said the defendant had abused his employer’s trust over a long period and was unable to compensate the company because he had lost all the illegal proceeds through unsuccessful stock trading.
But Wat found reasons to impose a lighter sentence, highlighting Ho’s willingness to take responsibility, his difficulties in finding a new job due to mental health issues and the limited impact the case had on Deloitte’s reputation.
She also noted that the defendant was unlikely to reoffend and had strong support from family members who persuaded him not to take his own life after his crime was exposed.
Ho’s deception came to light after an IT engineer discovered a shortfall of 399 laptops at Deloitte’s office at Cityplaza in Quarry Bay on February 13, 2023.
The engineer and an administrative officer reviewed live surveillance footage and found that the defendant, who was supposedly on leave, had attempted to sell a box of 15 laptops to a recycler at around 7.30pm on the same day. The pair immediately intervened to call off the transaction.
Ho confessed his wrongdoing to his supervisor at a meeting two days later and surrendered himself to police that afternoon.
A detective constable later recovered 24 other Deloitte laptops from the recycler’s premises at Sin Tat Plaza in Mong Kok.
According to the recycler’s owner, the defendant said Deloitte had allowed him to sell the laptops, which he claimed were either outdated or bought by mistake.
Bank records showed that Ho had received more than HK$458,000 from the illicit sales. The defendant claimed that he had also received cash from the recycler for the transactions.
Defence counsel said in mitigation that Ho was under significant family-related stress. His wife experienced postnatal depression, while his ailing father underwent surgery for lung cancer.
Theft is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, but the maximum jail term is seven years when the case is heard in the District Court.


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Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Ho Man-kit, 40, earlier pleaded guilty to stealing 423 company laptops to sell to recycler to fund his stock trading addiction


Ho Man-kit, 40, earlier pleaded guilty to stealing 423 company laptops to sell to recycler to fund his stock trading addiction.


Ex-Deloitte IT manager jailed for 22 months over HK$1.2 million laptop theft

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Ho Man-kit, 40, earlier pleaded guilty to stealing 423 company laptops to sell to recycler to fund his stock trading addiction

Ho Man-kit, 40, earlier pleaded guilty to stealing 423 company laptops to sell to recycler to fund his stock trading addiction