Diamond buyer jailed for stealing HK$11 million in gems to fund gambling habit
A Hong Kong court has sentenced a former jewellery procurement manager to six years and eight months behind bars for stealing HK$11 million (US$1.4 million) worth of diamonds from suppliers to fund his gambling habit. Mui Ka-fai, 63, pleaded guilty on Monday to three counts of theft for reselling the small diamonds he misappropriated for personal gain while working for Tse Sui Luen Jewellery…
A former Hong Kong jewellery procurement manager has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison for stealing HK$11 million worth of diamonds to support his gambling addiction. Mui Ka-fai, 63, pleaded guilty to three theft charges for misappropriating the diamonds while working for Tse Sui Luen Jewellery between April 2023 and February 2024.
High Court Judge Andrew Chan Hing-wai emphasized that the defendant had abused his position and betrayed the trust of his employer and clients. The thefts were meticulously planned and concealed until his imminent employment termination. Mui, with 35 years of experience, stole 2,557 carats of diamonds, which were required to be returned by suppliers.
He resold the diamonds, converting the cash into Hong Kong dollars for use in his betting account. The three diamond suppliers involved did not demand the return of the diamonds due to their longstanding relationships with the company. Mui's employment was terminated in February 2024 for operational reasons. The sentenced was ordered consecutively, totalling 80 months.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
