Ex-Deloitte IT manager stole 400+ laptops to fund stock trading, made ₹55 lakh from sales
The former employee was accused of stealing laptops belonging to professional services firm Deloitte and selling them to fund his personal stock market investments.
Former Deloitte IT manager Ho Man-Kit, 40, was held in custody in Hong Kong after stealing approximately 423 laptops from the company's premises over 17 months to fund his stock trading habit. He pleaded guilty to the theft at Hong Kong's District Court, admitting to taking Lenovo computers worth around HK$1.2 million (₹1.46 crore) between September 2021 and February 2023.
Prosecutors claimed the stolen laptops were sold to finance Ho's personal stock market investments, with bank records revealing he received over HK$458,000 (₹55 lakh) from the sales. The thefts occurred during Ho's time in the company's IT department, leading to the discovery of 399 missing laptops at Deloitte's office in Cityplaza, Quarry Bay.
Ho confessed to his manager and turned himself in to the police shortly after informing the administration about the missing laptops. Investigators found an additional 24 laptops at a recycler's location in Mong Kok, where Ho claimed the stolen items were authorized for sale. Ho's defense lawyer stated that he was remorseful and had attempted suicide the day before surrendering to authorities.
The court heard that Ho faced significant personal and family challenges, including his wife's postnatal depression and his father's recovery from lung cancer surgery. A similar laptop theft incident was reported earlier this year, involving the theft of six laptops from Linking Spaces Technologies Pvt Ltd in HSR Layout Sector 1.
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