Former Yuen Long District Councillor Cheung Sau-yin has been accused of borrowing money and not repaying it, leading to multiple debt recovery attempts. Among them, Lai Dak-chung, former chairman of the Curriculum Development Council’s General Education Committee and the Association of Hong Kong General Education Teachers, filed a lawsuit in March in the High Court to reclaim HK$140,000 from Cheung and also applied for his bankruptcy. The bankruptcy hearing on the 18th saw Cheung appearing in court to oppose bankruptcy, acknowledging the undisputed principal debt but seeking the court to determine the amount of interest and legal fees. Magistrate Leung Man-leung cited the ongoing disputes between the parties and decided to transfer the case to a specialized bankruptcy judge for further handling on July 8.
The petitioner for bankruptcy is Lai Dak-chung, while the respondent is Cheung Sau-yin, who made his first court appearance in the bankruptcy hearing.
Cheung Sau-yin expressed his intention to repay the debt and disputed the petition, pointing out that it did not mention his repayment of HK$20,000 and requested the court to provide a one-month extension for processing. However, Lai opposed the extension, arguing that a previous District Court judgment clearly outlined the amounts, indicating Cheung’s repayment of HK$20,000 from October 2022 to February 2023. Despite this, the overall situation suggested Cheung’s lack of intent to repay, prompting an immediate request for a bankruptcy order from the court.
Initially intending to adjourn the case until June 24, Cheung mentioned his upcoming trip to Singapore the following week and requested an additional week extension. As Cheung disagreed with the issuance of a bankruptcy order and the court could not resolve the debt dispute, the magistrate decided to postpone the case to July 8 for handling by a specialized bankruptcy judge.
After the hearing, Cheung Sau-yin greeted Lai Dak-chung outside the courtroom, but Lai responded, “I have nothing to say to you,” to which Cheung replied, “Just saying hello.”
Looking back at the records, Lai filed a lawsuit in the District Court in August last year, claiming to have lent HK$160,000 to Cheung Sau-yin, with only HK$20,000 repaid, leading to the pursuit of HK$140,000 plus 1% interest from Cheung.
Since early last year, Cheung Sau-yin has been associated with numerous debt-related incidents, accused of borrowing money from various politicians, activists, classmates, and friends but failing to repay. The creditors include individuals from different political backgrounds, with the total debts reaching millions. Among them, a ruling from the Small Claims Tribunal ordered Cheung to return HK$10,000 to his former classmate Wong Wing-kei, while in late July last year, he was sued by former member of the Progressive Teachers’ Alliance Lu Jigao for HK$140,000 Loan repayment. His creditors include notable figures like international relations scholar Wong Wai-kwok, banking commentator Ambrose Lam, who is said to have immigrated to the UK.
Apart from the mentioned cases, former Liberal Party member Yeung Ho-chuen filed a lawsuit in the Small Claims Tribunal in March last year to recover HK$35,000 from Cheung Sau-yin. Yeung was granted a favorable judgment and costs. However, Yeung, in a media interview after the hearing, admitted that he had not yet prepared for the next steps and described Cheung Sau-yin as a “professional debtor” and a “seasoned offender.” He further claimed that based on his knowledge, at least 100 individuals were owed money by Cheung Sau-yin, with some debts reaching six figures.