Hong Kong healthcare professionals among 5 arrested over elderly services fraud

The anti-corruption agency has arrested five people, including two healthcare professionals, for allegedly pocketing as much as millions of Hong Kong dollars in government subsidies for elderly community services through fake visit records and sharing funds with the residents’ family members.

Matthew Chang Chor-ming, principal investigator from the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (ICAC) operations department, revealed on Thursday that last month’s arrests included a registered nurse and an occupational therapist who masterminded a plan to defraud the Community Care Service Voucher Scheme for the Elderly.

“We have discovered people with criminal intent using their role as medical professionals to defraud government subsidies by exploiting residents who were unfamiliar with the scheme or manipulating their greed, depriving some elderly people from at-home care services they were entitled to,” he said.

The suspects comprised three women and two men, aged between 27 and 57. Three of the arrestees worked at a private care agency established by the registered nurse. All five are currently out on bail.

The agency began investigating the case following a referral from the Social Welfare Department, which received a complaint alleging fraud last year.

The voucher scheme enables elderly residents to directly purchase various care services, ranging from day care centre attendance to at-home services such as rehabilitation and catering.