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A 57-year-old waitress was sentenced on Thursday to four years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of money laundering in the District Court.
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To Lai-kuen, a part-time waitress, was found to have repeatedly lent her two bank accounts to criminals for money laundering activities between 2021 and 2022, facilitating transactions totaling HK$44 million.
District Judge Kathie Cheung Kit-yee approved a 30 percent increase to To’s sentence following a request from prosecutors for a harsher penalty. The final prison term reflects the seriousness of her actions.
In August 2022, police were alerted by a financial institution regarding large and frequent cash transactions in one of To’s bank accounts, raising suspicions of money laundering. An investigation revealed that she was the account holder, which had processed around HK$10 million in criminal proceeds from March 2021 to January 2022.
Further inquiries uncovered that To had established a shell renovation company, which was involved in processing around HK$34 million in illicit funds between May 2021 and April 2022. She was subsequently arrested on March 16, 2023.
The Financial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau has warned the public about the risks of renting out bank accounts, which can facilitate money laundering activities.
“To enhance deterrence against money laundering, we will continue to collaborate with the Department of Justice to pursue heavier penalties for defendants involved in puppet accounts and money laundering cases, based on the severity of the crime,” the bureau said.
(Adelyn Lau)
