Police to promote eight senior officers in pre-Christmas 'Yes Letter'

Hong Kong Police have announced their annual end-of-year promotion list—called the “Yes Letter” inside the force—elevating eight senior officers, including two women officers, to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.

The most prominent name is Kelly Cheng Lai-ki, a career criminal investigator who first gained public attention in 2017 when, as the Chief Superintendent of Police (Crime) for the West Kowloon Region, she unraveled the fabricated claims by former Democratic Party member Howard Lam that he had been abducted and stapled by mainland agents. 

Cheng went on to head the Commercial Crime Bureau’s counterfeit and support units before taking command of the Financial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau, where she spearheaded multiple large-scale money-laundering probes and represented Hong Kong at international conferences overseas. 

She will now become Dean of the Police College.

Joining her at the assistant commissioner level is Tse Tsui-yan, current commander of the Sau Mau Ping Police District. 

Tse, formerly a senior officer in police public relations, has spent much of this year leading crowd-management planning for the new 50,000-seat Kai Tak Sports Park. 

Her meticulous rehearsals for mass events earned praise for smooth ingress and egress arrangements. She moves to command the entire Eastern Kowloon Region.

The two male Assistant Commissioner appointees are equally experienced in high-pressure roles. 

Cheung Wai-wah, who served as deputy commander of West Kowloon riot police during the 2019 unrest and often appeared alongside Commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming on the front line, takes over the New Territories South Region.

Chan Chi-yung, regarded as the force’s first-generation cybercrime specialist, rises from Chief Superintendent to Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Information Systems Wing after decades of fighting technology-related offenses.

At the Chief Superintendent rank, Emily Lam Sze-wan becomes the only woman in this batch. 

Currently heading community relations within the Public Relations Wing, she has transformed the Junior Police Call scheme, launching the IDEAS strategy to promote innovation, discipline, and adventure among youth, while growing its social media following from 4,000 to over 33,000. 

She will now lead the entire Police Community Relations Bureau.

Wilson Wong Kwok-kei, who commanded the 51-strong Hong Kong rescue contingent sent to Myanmar after the March earthquake and later received commendations from the Chief Executive, is appointed Chief Superintendent of the Security Bureau.

Cheung Chi-wai, a former airport security secondee and PTU instructor, takes over Sau Mau Ping District, while financial-investigation expert and police basketball vice-chairman Chow Chi-kwan also reaches Chief Superintendent rank.