Principal and staff member arrested for fraud in school fee scandal

Inno Secondary School’s principal and a staff member were arrested for conspiracy to defraud and fraud after allegedly collecting a substantial reservation fee but refunding only a fraction of it.

The arrestees are 36-year-old principal, surnamed Qi, and 44-year-old female staff member, surnamed Chiu.

The operation of the private institution in Kowloon Tong has been suspended by the Education Bureau following allegations of collaborating with mainland agencies to facilitate student admissions to local subsidized universities.

It is known that the school informed parents that a payment of HK$380,000 was required for reservation fees, administration costs and miscellaneous charges when enrolling their children in December 2024.

The school promised that the fees would be refundable upon graduation or transfer of the students. The victim’s child started attending the school in February this year.

In June, the victim received notification from Qi stating that the school’s ownership was undergoing changes, and students could either remain at the school or transfer to another institution with a promise of fee refunds.

However, the victim ultimately received only HK$95,000 as a refund. Subsequently, the victim learned from other parents that the school did not have the Education Bureau’s approval to charge such fees.

After the Bureau ordered the school to cease operations in July, the victim attempted multiple times to contact the principal regarding the refund but received no response, prompting the individual to file a report with the police.