Hong Kong’s District Court on Tuesday convicted 13 parents and a businessman of bribery offenses related to securing kindergarten placements at the English Schools Foundation (ESF) Wu Kai Sha International Kindergarten, a case involving a total of HK$1.1 million in bribes. Deputy Judge Amy Chan remanded all 14 defendants in custody pending sentencing on March 31, deeming a custodial sentence “inevitable,” according to Hong Kong Free Press.
The convictions stem from a corruption investigation initiated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) into K1 admission applications spanning the academic years 2019 to 2022. Fatima Rumjahn, 56, the former administrator at the kindergarten, previously pleaded guilty in October 2024 to nine bribery charges and testified against the 14 defendants. The ICAC investigation revealed that Rumjahn accepted bribes ranging from HK$20,000 to HK$200,000 from parents in exchange for prioritizing their children’s applications, even after they had been assessed and placed on the waiting list.
The defendants include Cora Lam and her husband, Cheung Ka-ming; Marissa Choy and her partner, Lee Chun-long; Julia Wong; Vida Lau; Ma Yin-man; Li Jiebing; Tsui Wai-him; Kong Ching-men; Michelle Wong; Mak Wai-ki; and Zhe Shuangye, alongside businessman Siu Yu-pong. The court heard that Kong specifically “incited” Rumjahn to accept a bribe from Choy to facilitate her child’s admission, as detailed in an ICAC press release.
The ICAC’s investigation found that the 12 children involved had initially passed the K1 admission interviews but were positioned at the bottom of the waiting list. Despite this, they were ultimately granted admission after the bribes were paid. The English Schools Foundation, a prominent international school group in Hong Kong, provided full assistance to the ICAC throughout the investigation, RTHK reported.
The case highlights the pressures surrounding school admissions in Hong Kong, where competition for places at prestigious international kindergartens is particularly fierce. The ESF, known for its English-medium instruction and international curriculum, operates a network of schools across the territory. The South China Morning Post reported that the bribes offered ranged from approximately US$2,600 to US$25,600.
The ICAC emphasized the importance of integrity within Hong Kong’s education system, issuing a statement reminding parents that offering bribes to secure school placements is illegal and undermines the fairness of the admissions process. The agency did not comment on whether further investigations are underway regarding potential systemic issues within the kindergarten’s admissions procedures, leaving open the question of whether this case represents an isolated incident or a broader pattern of corruption.
