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The principal of Christian Zheng Sheng School, a drug rehabilitation centre in Hong Kong, has admitted that its guardian organisation had entrusted him with some funds to broaden abroad, however denied embezzlement allegations.
Alman Chan Siu-cheuk, who lives in the UK, broke months of silence with a rejection of an accusation by Hong Kong police that he was concerned within the theft of HK$50 million (US$6.4 million) in donations raised from a 2020 marketing campaign for the faculty’s operations.
However he didn’t reply to police’s core accusation that the funds have been channelled from the faculty’s guardian, Zheng Sheng Affiliation, into the private financial institution accounts of three former administrators of the charitable physique together with himself.
Chan, together with the affiliation’s founder, Jacob Lam Hay-sing, and one other former director, Chan Yau-chi, has been wished by the police since January. 4 different former administrators have been additionally arrested at the moment in relation to misappropriation of funds and fraud allegations.
Chan’s letter, seen by the Publish on Friday, acknowledged that he had by no means misappropriated funds the affiliation’s former board of administrators entrusted to him and that the cash was as an alternative used to broaden its service scope outdoors Hong Kong.
He added that he migrated to the UK along with his spouse to dwell with their son in 2021, and mentioned the affiliation’s former board of administrators hoped he would proceed the faculty’s companies within the nation.
“I by no means imagined that an attraction to the general public to assist Zheng Sheng’s drug therapy work could be misunderstood as a false assertion,” he mentioned.
“I’ve by no means embezzled funds entrusted to me by the Christian Zheng Sheng Affiliation to broaden our companies,” he added.
“I don’t perceive that the varied ministries we have now been finishing up outdoors Hong Kong will be thought of embezzlement of public funds.”
As an investigation unfolded, police froze all of the financial institution accounts of the affiliation, the faculty and the wished administrators.
Within the letter, Chan revealed for the primary time some monetary knowledge of the affiliation and the faculty that weren’t even disclosed in the course of the 2020 fundraising train.
He mentioned the 2 entities’ month-to-month bills have been no less than HK$1.1 million.
Between November in 2020 and January, the overall bills have been no less than HK$42.9 million plus HK$20 million excellent building charges for a constructing on the campus at Ha Keng, on Lantau Island.
The 2-storey constructing was funded with no less than HK$62 million from the Safety Bureau’s Beat Medicine Fund in 2015 and 2016. The constructing, comprising lecture rooms and kitchens, was operational within the second half of 2022.
Chan added within the letter that police had by no means contacted or consulted him earlier than they made public that he was wished in January.
He additionally defined that the affiliation’s board of administrators determined to launch an abroad ministry on December 6, 2021, and later registered a non-profit organisation within the UK on February 15, 2022.
“The primary allocation to the UK in April 2022 has nothing to do with the operational funds of the Christian Zheng Sheng Affiliation and the faculty,” he mentioned.
All ministries in and outdoors Hong Kong have been primarily based on the choices made by the affiliation’s former board of administrators, he mentioned, including {that a} faculty department was established in Fujian province in 2003.
“Present companies in Britain have begun,” he added. “Tons of of individuals have acquired the companies we offer.
“Amongst these receiving companies, there are individuals of various races, in addition to emotionally disturbed, hidden youth and buddies who’ve used medication.”
Alman Chan and founder Lam stepped down because the affiliation’s administrators on April 12, however the Safety Bureau mentioned their management with the board remained regardless of current administrators claiming they reduce ties with the pair.
The Publish has reached out to the Safety Bureau for feedback.
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