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Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency has charged a former senior biotech executive over allegedly concealing a conflict of interest when selecting a subcontractor for a Covid-19 community testing centre, resulting in service payments totalling HK$120 million (US$15.4 million). Chris Wong Lei-po, 56, former laboratory director of the Hong Kong Molecular Pathology Diagnostic Centre (HKMPDC), was charged with one count of fraud on Wednesday by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), which acted upon a corruption complaint. HKMPDC, one of the operators of community testing centres, contracted out the registration and crowd control work to Health Conscience, with the selection overseen by Wong. Although Wong had set up and controlled Health Conscience with others, he did not declare his actual or potential conflict of interest. It was alleged that Wong concealed or failed to disclose his interest in the subcontractor in 2022 to HKMPDC with the intent to defraud, and induced it to award the service agreement for the daily operations of the community testing centre to Health Conscience. The service payment made to the subcontractor totalled HK$120 million. Wong was released on bail, with his case to be mentioned at Eastern Court on Friday. The ICAC advised business organisations to establish clear guidelines and systems for the declaration of conflicts of interest. “Staff members of business organisations are reminded to avoid conflict of interest situations and to make timely declarations to their employers,” it said in a statement. “Concealing any conflict of interest in relation to one’s official duties to benefit himself or his associates may constitute a breach of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance or other criminal law.” Fraud is punishable by a maximum of 14 years in jail upon conviction under the Theft Ordinance.
