'King of judicial reviews' held for alleged fraud

The "King of Judicial Reviews" Kwok Cheuk-kin was arrested yesterday, facing accusations that he had obtained housing and social welfare benefits by deception.

Police said a Cheung Chau resident surnamed Kwok was arrested as a result of investigation as a by the Kowloon East regional crime unit. Sources later confirmed the man arrested was the "king of judicial reviews."

Kwok allegedly made false representations about his income and assets from 2013 to 2022 to deceive the government of his allowances and social benefits including public housing, old age living allowance, comprehensive social security assistance and legal aid.

The 85-year-old has been granted police bail.

Referring to the Theft Ordinance that makes anyone obtaining an advantage or causes a disadvantage to government departments liable, police said the law provides for a maximum sentence of 14 years in jail.

Kwok confirmed to that he was granted bail of HK$200 and has to report to the police on June 27.

Kwok said he has HK$3,000 in savings and has been relying on a monthly social security assistance of HK$7,000.

The Cheung Chau flat he is residing in for a monthly rent of HK$2,500 belongs to his ex-wife, he said.

Kwok was earlier allocated a public flat at Yau Lai Estate in Yau Tong but he said he had written to the Housing Authority to return the unit due to inconvenient transport.

Kwok has been involved in several controversial incidents.

It was reported that in 2019, he was assigned public housing in Shun Lai House of Yau Lai Estate and his wife surnamed Cho reportedly said in 2020 that he intended to leave the flat to her for video shooting.

The flat was subsequently recovered by the Housing Department in 2021 following an investigation.

Kwok was also reported to have built unauthorized works at the Cheung Chau flat, which led to a Buildings Department prosecution in 2017.

The department was reported to have also issued a warning letter to the owners' corporation and initiated a second prosecution as demolition works had not commenced as demanded. The prosecution failed to proceed after the summons were unsuccessfully delivered.

Kwok claimed to be a law graduate at National Taiwan University in the 1950s, and had worked for Hong Kong's Judiciary before 1989.

He retired and moved to Cheung Chau in 1996.

Kwok was known for a readiness to challenge government decisions with judicial reviews.

In 2006, he mounted the first judicial review to challenge the Transport Department over a fare hike of the Cheung Chau ferry route. Since then, he has applied for more than 30 judicial reviews.

Kwok was declared bankrupt in July 2020 after he owed the government HK$1.56 million in legal fees in four judicial review cases.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com