A Hong Kong court on Tuesday sentenced 13 parents and a middleman to up to 14 months in jail for offering bribes of HK$20,000 to HK$200,000 to a kindergarten administrator at the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in exchange for enrolments. Deputy District Judge Amy Chan Wai-mun said parents' high expectations for their children are understandable, but they must obey the law. She stressed that bribery is a serious offence and deprived others of a fair chance.
A Hong Kong District Court on Tuesday sentenced 13 parents and a middleman to up to 14 months in jail for offering bribes ranging from HK$20,000 to HK$200,000 (US$2,600 to US$25,600) to Fatima Rumjahn, a former administrator at ESF Wu Kai Sha International Kindergarten, in exchange for enrolments.
Rumjahn handled admission applications from 2018 to 2021 and promised priority status to parents on the waiting list or those with late applications not slated for interviews. In mitigation, some defendants accused Rumjahn of “taking advantage of the parents’ eagerness to get their children into school” and “luring them” into bribing her.
Deputy District Judge Amy Chan Wai-mun said she understood the defendants’ motives, as parents want the best for their children. “It is understandable to have high expectations for their children. But the premise is that [parents] have to obey the law,” she said. She slammed the defendants for “depriving others of a fair chance” to attend the school.
The case involves defendants including Marissa Choy Wai-yin, Cora Lam Man-hei, Michelle Wong Mei-suet, merchant Siu Yu-pong, Zhu Shuangye, Julia Wong Wing-man, and Lee Chun-long. ESF is the city’s biggest international school group.
