Top HA official, doctor found guilty of stealing high-end groceries file appeal to overturn conviction

A Hospital Authority senior executive and her doctor husband who were found guilty of stealing high-end groceries from a supermarket in Whampoa on Thursday filed an appeal in a bid to overturn their convictions.

Vivien Chuang Wai-man, a chief manager who previously hosted a number of the city’s daily Covid-19 press briefings, and orthopedic doctor Chiu Ming-yu, were each fined HK$5,000 after being convicted of theft. They previously pleaded not guilty to the charges.

They were said to have stolen 10 items from the supermarket – including a watermelon, two packs of sashimi and a bag of chicken – totaling more than HK$1,600 on April 23, 2022.

Handing down her verdict in April this year, Kowloon City Magistrate Frances Leung rejected the pair's claims that they were misled by police into admitting their guilt in their statements.

She also said the couple had been selective in deciding not to scan items at a self-checkout machine, noting that the pair had only paid around HK$600 at checkout.

Meanwhile, the magistrate said she had no doubt in the pair’s contribution to society, describing the case as “pitiful”.