A former school principal who allegedly stole over HK$10 million from his school's management committee plunged to his death right before the case was to be heard yesterday.
The police received a report from a resident of Lai Yiu Estate in Kwai Chung at around 9am yesterday, saying a middle-aged man attempted to jump off the estate's Fu Yiu House.
"Officers arrived at the scene and found the man lying in the yard at [Fu Yiu House]," police said.
Nip was rushed to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung but was later pronounced dead. Officers believe Nip jumped from the corridor of the 16th floor of Fu Yiu House.They also found a suicide note, saying he was under pressure because of the case and legal procedures.
It is understood that Nip was not a resident of Fu Yiu House. The case is being followed up by the police's Kwai Chung district Miscellaneous Enquiries Subunit.The cause of Nip's death is yet to be determined pending further investigation and an autopsy, police added.
Nip was scheduled to appear before acting principal magistrate Leung Ka-kie at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Court yesterday morning. The defense told the court that Nip was rushed to hospital by ambulance in the morning and was later pronounced dead.The trial has been adjourned to March 5 next year, pending Nip's death certificate and relevant documents.
He was charged with one count of theft for stealing HK$10.42 million between September 3, 2018 and April 30, 2021. The money belonged to GT (Ellen Yeung) College's incorporated management committee.In 2022, the committee sued Nip, saying he had made numerous small cash deposits between September 2018 and April 2021 and percolated some HK$10.6 million of the school's assets, requesting the court to order Nip to repay the amount.
After graduating from Education University majoring in Chinese and mathematics, and with a Bachelor of Arts in Chinese language and literature at Open University (now Metropolitan University), Nip joined the school as a teacher in 2004.But he resigned in May 2021 - less than a year after his promotion to school principal on September 2020.
After Nip's resignation, the primary school's supervisor and management committee said in separate statements that the school found "anomalies in some of the receipts," with Nip suspected of violating professional ethics and mismanaging school finances.The school management committee accepted his resignation during an emergency meeting.
"After a preliminary investigation by the school management committee, we have referred the case to the police. Mr Nip Man has admitted his misconduct at work and resigned," the school said, adding it would report the incident to the Education Bureau.Nip was later arrested by police in October 2021.
eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com
