13 parents, middleman jailed for up to 14 months over bribes to secure priority admission to international kindergarten

Thirteen parents and a middleman have been jailed for up to one year and two months for offering HK$1.1 million in bribes to secure admission to an English Schools Foundation (ESF) kindergarten. The defendants, aged between 36 and 48, were sentenced at the West Kowloon Law Courts Building on Tuesday. They were found guilty in February of bribing an administrator at ESF Wu Kai Sha International Kindergarten in Ma On Shan.

The bribes, ranging from HK$20,000 to HK$200,000, were aimed at securing entry for 12 children who had passed the K1 admission process for the school years 2019 to 2022, but were placed at the bottom of the waiting list. Former administrator Fatima Rumjahn, who handled applications at the school between September 2018 and August 2021, pleaded guilty in October 2024 and testified against the 14 defendants. She will be sentenced next month.

According to a press release from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), which investigated the case, Deputy District Judge Amy Chan said on Tuesday that it was understandable that the defendants wanted to help their children “get off to a flying start,” but that they still had to obey the law. Their bribes affected the fairness of the school’s admission process, Chan added.

Among the 13 parents were two couples: Lam Man-hei and her husband Cheung Ka-ming, and Marissa Choy and her partner Lee Chun-long. The other nine were mothers: Julia Wong, Vida Lau, Ma Yin-man, Li Jiebing, Tsui Wai-him, Kong Ching-men, Michelle Wong, Mak Wai-ki and Zhu Shuangye. They were jailed for between eight and 11 months.

The 14th defendant, Siu Yu-pong, acted as a middleman to help his business partner’s daughter secure admission to the kindergarten. He received the longest sentence of 14 months, as the judge said he may have made business gains out of it.

The case stemmed from an ICAC investigation that began in 2022, when the commission received a tip-off about potential corruption at the kindergarten. The ICAC launched an investigation, which led to the arrest of the 14 defendants in 2023. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence of multiple bribes paid to Fatima Rumjahn, who had been working at the school as an administrator.

The parents and middleman were charged with offering bribes to a public officer, a serious offense under Hong Kong law. The defendants argued that they were desperate to secure a place at the prestigious ESF kindergarten for their children, as the school is known for its high standards and strong academic reputation. However, the court dismissed these arguments, emphasizing that bribery undermined the integrity of the education system and was not a justifiable means of achieving a legitimate goal.

The sentencing hearing was attended by representatives from the ESF, who expressed disappointment and regret over the incident. The school stated that it had implemented stricter admission procedures and enhanced its anti-corruption measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

The case has sparked a wider debate in Hong Kong about the role of bribery in the education system and the lengths to which parents will go to secure a good education for their children. Critics argue that the high pressure to succeed in Hong Kong’s competitive education system often pushes parents to resort to unethical practices, while advocates for reform call for systemic changes to make the education system more accessible and equitable.

As the sentences for the 14 defendants are handed down, the case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that the education system remains fair and transparent for all. The conviction of the parents and middleman not only addresses the immediate issue of bribery but also highlights the need for ongoing efforts to combat corruption and promote integrity in Hong Kong’s educational institutions.