Hong Kong's 'monitoring king' arrested for alleged government welfare fraud

Retired Hong Kong civil servant Kwok Cheuk-kin, a serial litigator known as the “king of judicial reviews” for his challenges to public policies, was arrested on suspicion of fraudulently obtaining subsidies government and social assistance.

The force's Kowloon East regional headquarters arrested Kwok, 85, on Cheung Chau Island on Thursday after extensive investigation. Officers confiscated evidence including a cell phone and documents such as a bank savings account, among other items.

He was suspected of obtaining government grants and welfare by making false statements and providing false information to conceal his income and personal assets.

Kwok had sought public assistance in areas such as public rental housing, old-age allowance, comprehensive social assistance and legal aid from 2013 to 2022.

He has been released on bail pending further investigation and is due to report to police later this month.

In Hong Kong, conspiracy to defraud is punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Theft Ordinance.

Kwok has sought a series of high-profile judicial reviews against government policies and decisions since 2006, most of them unsuccessful.

He was declared bankrupt for failing to repay HK$1.56 million (US$199,730) in unpaid legal fees after failing to appear and contest a case heard by the High Court in July 2020.

But that didn't stop him from trying to take on the authorities in court. The latest attempt came in November when Kwok claimed the government had violated residents' right to run in district council elections by demanding they first receive nominations from three government-appointed committees filled in faithful from Beijing.

The High Court ruled in favor of the government the following month.

He last won a legal bid in October 2022, barring the government from overturning more than 20,000 Covid-19 vaccination exemptions issued by seven doctors suspected of professional misconduct.

Residents were required to be fully vaccinated or show proof of exemption before entering premises, including restaurants and public establishments.

In December 2022, the Housing Authority took over the public rented apartment in Yau Tong allocated to Kwok due to his inability to keep it as his habitual residence after media reports that he had been staying at his home in Cheung Chau.