Wanted activist Anna Kwok’s father, accused of handling ‘absconder’ funds, has case to answer

Kwok Yin-sang, the father of wanted activist Anna Kwok Fung-yee, has a case to answer after the court ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence in a national security case where he was accused of handling ‘absconder’ funds.

Kwok is charged under Article 23 with attempting to handle the financial assets of a designated absconder by managing his daughter’s insurance policy. He pleaded not guilty.

According to agreed facts, Kwok purchased a life and personal accident insurance policy from AIA International in 1999 for his three children, including Anna Kwok. The policy’s total value is around HK$90,000.

An insurance agent from AIA, surnamed Cheng, testified that the defendant sought to cancel his daughter’s policy in January.

Defense counsel Steven Kwan Man-wai played a voice message Cheng had sent to Kwok’s son in February, in which she said: “Your dad filled in Kwok Fung-yee’s name and signed it himself, because the real issue is that I can’t get a signature from her. I did explain to your father, but I’m not sure he understood.”

Kwan argued that when Kwok’s son reached adulthood, his policy receipt was also signed by the father to transfer the policyholder’s name — an arrangement that AIA had accepted. 

This, he said, demonstrated that a policyholder’s name does not automatically transfer from the parent to the insured child upon the child turning 18, meaning Kwok Yin-sang remained the policyholder rather than Anna Kwok.

However, AIA’s service director, surnamed Yan, told the court that the insurer’s system automatically changes the policyholder to the insured child once they reach 18, and that the policy’s cash value then belongs to that child.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Derek Lau Tak-wai cited a transfer notice AIA sent to Kwok in 2015, which stated that Anna Kwok would automatically become the policyholder upon reaching 18. Yan confirmed this, explaining that no application or signature was required for the transfer.

The defense, however, referred to the insurance contract terms, which stipulate that the new policyholder’s consent is needed. Kwan further cited an example involving Kwok’s eldest son, for whom Kwok had applied to change the payment method on behalf of his son after the policy had already been transferred, which AIA accepted.

In reply, Yan described that case as an internal error by staff or the system, reiterating that “the computer has been updated... it must be transferred when the insured child reaches 18.”

When asked by the defense whether AIA relied on its internal documents or computer system in similar situations, Yan said the matter would require internal investigation.

Anna Kwok Fung-yee, who is wanted by Hong Kong authorities for alleged subversion and collusion with foreign forces under the National Security Law, remains overseas. Authorities have offered a HK$1 million bounty for information leading to her arrest.