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 jewellery procurement manager, Mui Ka-fai, has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison by a Hong Kong court for stealing HK$11 million worth of diamonds to fund his gambling addiction. Mui, 63, pleaded guilty to three counts of theft for reselling the diamonds he misappropriated while working for Tse Sui Luen Jewellery between April 2023 and February 2024.
High Court Judge Andrew Chan Hing-wai emphasized that Mui abused his position and betrayed the trust of his employer and clients. He noted that the thefts were carefully executed and covered up, but would have been discovered sooner had Mui's employment not been terminated shortly after the crimes were discovered. The court heard that Mui, with 35 years of experience, stole 2,557 carats worth of diamonds, a position that allowed him sole access to a safe containing the diamonds.
The three diamond suppliers, Iskkon Gems, RA Gems, and KGK, did not pursue the company to return the stolen stones due to their longstanding relationships with Tse Sui Luen Jewellery. Mui confessed to stealing diamonds since 2017, reselling them for up to US$50,000 each month, and converting the cash into his Jockey Club betting account.
The court sentenced Mui to 34 to 46 months in prison for each count, resulting in a total of 80 months of imprisonment.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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