A Christian organization working to rehabilitate drug addicts in Hong Kong said in an announcement that it was “shocked” when authorities arrested 4 of its directors Jan. 18 for conspiracy to defraud donors of $6.4 million ($50 million HKD) in donations.
Three other directors—including the group’s founder, Jacob Hay-sing Lam, and the principal of the group’s highschool, Alman Siu-cheuk Chan—have also been charged, but fled the country after the investigation began. Christian Zheng Sheng Association vowed to cooperate with the police investigation to “restore the institution’s fame and innocence.”
Founded in 1985, Zheng Sheng seeks to construct a “holistic and interactive Christian therapeutic community” for drug addicts of all ages and help them “re-establish their values in life.” They also opened Christian Zheng Sheng College, a highschool that functions as a rehab center, according to its website. The Chinese characters of Zheng Sheng represent the biblical phrases “repent and redeem” and “from death unto life.”
Concerns in regards to the group arose over a fundraiser that the varsity’s principal Chan ran between October and December 2020. Chan claimed the varsity needed funds in a 12 months of record-low donations through the COVID-19 pandemic. The school ended up raising $5.7 million through the campaign.
However, police investigations found that lower than 10 percent of the donations raised at the top of 2020 actually went to the varsity. Instead, there have been greater than 300 transactions to other bank accounts, including three personal accounts co-owned by Chan and other charity directors. The investigation also found that the charity transferred greater than $6.4 million in donations to its branches within the United Kingdom and the United States.
Amid the fraud case, the group has maintained its innocence. Chui Hong-sheung, a supervisor of the varsity, told local media that it was a “misunderstanding.” He said the varsity had borrowed $5 million from its parent association, yet didn’t explain why a number of the money was sent to private accounts.
“Zheng Sheng has at all times had a transparent stance through the years,” the charity said in an announcement provided to CT. “Our purpose is to serve young people through principles of excellent governance. Our funds strictly adhere to charity law, we’re audited by independent accountants whose reports are published to the general public for scrutiny.”
Lam founded Zheng Sheng in 1985, establishing a farm in Hong Kong’s New Territories where male drug addicts could rehabilitate. In the ’90s, the group opened two more centers for young men and ladies on Lantau Island. Then, in 1998, the varsity opened for young drug offenders to finish their secondary education. Students also develop other skills equivalent to playing instruments, operating audio-visual equipment, running ultramarathons, competing in archery competitions, writing Chinese calligraphy, and studying the Bible.
“We have so many young people involved in drugs in Hong Kong,” Chan told Reuters in 2009. “They need to be educated … education gives them a likelihood at life, empowering them, reconnecting them with society. Schooling creates a latest status, they’re students, not inmates.”
A former longtime coworker of Lau Chun-wah, certainly one of the administrators who was arrested, said the charity was well-known among the many Hong Kong Christian community. Non-Christians are also aware of Zheng Sheng’s work since the courts would often send young offenders to the charity’s rehab as an alternative of to jail. The coworker, who asked to not be named as a result of the sensitivity of the subject, said she found Lau, who’s currently the principal of United Christian College, to be someone who really cares for his students.
“He is a extremely devoted Christian in education,” the previous coworker said. “He is a one that likes to try latest things or create latest activities or opportunities for college students … so, actually, once I heard the news that he was arrested by the police, I used to be very upset.”
She added: “In my personal opinion, I don’t consider he would cheat others of cash.” As for Chan, “I even have listened to his sharing and I believe he’s a loyal Christian in education,” she said. “He really wants to vary [the students].”
Chan, who’s now based within the UK, posted a link on his Facebook page to encourage people to donate to the varsity just days before news broke in regards to the scandal.
Meanwhile, one other certainly one of the arrested directors, Lee Wing-hung, said he had repeatedly reminded founder Lam to make the charity’s funds public and to stop transferring money to non-public bank accounts. Lee said the three directors who had fled should return to Hong Kong.
When questioned in regards to the fraud case, nevertheless, Lam, who’s now within the US, replied with a vague statement to DimSum Daily: “Throughout history, adversity has at all times been an element of life, but one’s unwavering commitment echoes through the annals of time.”
Denise Tsang, a news editor at South China Morning Post, wrote in an opinion piece that she and her husband were certainly one of the various Christians in Hong Kong who supported the faculty, as Chan claimed that nearly all the scholars who went through the faculty were in a position to get clean and return to society.
Yet on visiting the varsity, she was surprised to see the poor facilities and meager meals, whilst donations poured in. She noted that some students were encouraged to remain on campus after their court-ordered period ended in order that the varsity could proceed to receive tuition. Today the varsity has 17 students.
“One immediate impact of the scandal is that donors are prone to be wary when giving money, especially to causes not traditionally ‘popular’ equivalent to for tackling drug addiction, versus helping orphans, for instance,” Tsang wrote.
