A former senior lecturer of the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has been charged by the ICAC for deceiving $9.45 million service fees in respect of fire engineering courses organised by CityU.

The defendant, 56, former Senior Lecturer of CityU, faces a total of 13 counts of fraud.

He will appear at Kowloon City Magistracy at 9:30 am on Friday (July 2), pending transfer to the District Court.

The case arose from a corruption complaint. Subsequent investigation revealed the alleged fraud offences.

Twelve charges allege that between October 2000 and May 2002, the defendant had falsely represented to an executive arm of CityU (Company A) that two persons had provided services as part-time assistants, dissertation co-ordinators or co-ordinators in respect of various Institution of Fire Engineers Fire Engineering Courses, hence, inducing Company A to pay the two persons a total of $1.27 million.

The remaining charge alleges that between October 2001 and October 2005, the defendant, by falsely representing that he had no association or connection with another company (Company B) and/or failing or omitting to disclose his relationship with the directors and shareholders of Company B, had induced Company A to engage Company B as the service provider in respect of the said courses and made service payments totalling $8.18 million to Company B, resulting in the benefit to the defendant.

Company A had been commissioned by the Institution of Fire Engineers to organise the said courses, of which the defendant was the co-ordinator.

The defendant was granted ICAC bail, pending his court appearance on Friday (July 2).