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DC trial for Filipina, agency owner charged with offering bogus jobs

Posted on 22 January 2021 No comments

By Vir B. Lumicao 

The alleged illegal recruitment case will be tried at the District Court, indicating its seriousness

A Filipina domestic helper and a Hong Kong-born Indonesian female recruiter said they would deny all charges relating to their alleged collection of thousands of dollars from applicants for bogus jobs when the case goes on trial in District Court on Aug 2.

Marijane Biscocho is facing 27 counts and Lennis Ebrahim at least 10 counts stemming from their alleged recruitment of workers for non-domestic worker jobs in Hong Kong and Macau in 2018 and 2019 that turned out to be inexistent.

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At least $600,000 is believed to have been collected from the alleged victims.

Biscocho, 44, will plead guilty only to a breach of condition of stay charge that the Immigration Department has added to 26 counts she is facing, her lawyer told Judge Amanda Woodcock on Jan 20.

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Ebrahim, owner of WHT Consulting Co, a recruitment firm that originally had its offices in Kwun Tong, will not plead guilty to all charges laid against her by the prosecution, her lawyer said.

Ebrahim is the owner of the consulting firm used to collect money from the alleged victims 

After their lawyers declared the accused positions, the prosecutor told Woodcock he had amended count No. 26, which originally accused Biscocho and Ebrahim of depositing $510,500 in an HSBC account between Sept 23, 2018 and June 16, 2019.

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He said he also added count No. 27, which Woodcock read cursorily but did not order to be read out to the defendants.

All the alleged offenses are bunched together in one charge, “Engaging in commercial practice that constitutes wrongly accepting payment for a product,” which the Customs and Excise Department has filed against the two and will be tried for about 15 days. 

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Customs, which arrested Biscocho and Ebrahim on Nov 7, 2019, is prosecuting the case. It is not clear whether the two money laundering counts, which by their nature are police cases, will be included in the trial.

The Hong Kong Customs declined to comment when contacted, with a spokesman saying on Jan 21 that the department would not comment on cases that are already in court.

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The prosecution said it would call 11 civilians, 10 police officers, 3 Labour officers and 6 Immigration officers as witnesses.

Biscocho pictured during her arrest in November 2019

Biscocho drew the breach of condition charge for allegedly working for WHT Consulting between Oct 1, 2018 and Sept 17, 2019 while on a domestic helper visa. That was when WHT was actively recruiting, victims said. Her visa was valid until Nov 12, 2019.

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The two women were accused by 11 Filipinos, mostly helpers, of charging them at least $12,000 each for such jobs as gardeners, drivers and printers in Hong Kong and Macau for their relatives and friends that would pay $7,000 to $13,000 a month.

Biscocho and Ebrahim are also accused of depositing $127,000 in a Hang Seng Bank account and $510,500 in a Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp account between 2018 and 2019, the sums being alleged proceeds from their illegal acts.

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Suzette Ip, head of the Customs and Excise Department team that arrested Biscocho and Ehrahim, said the victims were told their relatives and friends could apply for permanent residency here and in Macau after securing the jobs.

Ninfa Lumatac, another Filipina helper who worked as WHT staff, allegedly helped Biscocho entice the applicants to apply, but she went home via Macau to escape arrest,  the prosecution said.

Judge Woodcock told both parties to prepare for the Aug 2 trial. In the meantime, she ordered Biscocho remanded in custody and extended Ebrahim’s bail.

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HKID card replacement remains suspended until further notice

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By The SUN

All Smart ID Card Replacement Centres have been closed since Dec 2

Immigration Department has announced that the replacement of HKID cards have been suspended since Dec 2 last year until further notice because of tightened anti-epidemic restrictions.

All nine Smart Identity Card Replacement Centres (SIDCCs) across the city will remain closed in the meantime. Their locations can be found here: https://www.smartid.gov.hk/en/Where-to-replace-identity-cards/index.html

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Hong Kong residents born in 1962 and 1963 are supposed to have their HKIDs replaced until Jan 30, while those born in 1970, 1971 and 1972, were originally set to have their new smart IDs until Apr 30.

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All these, plus everyone whose scheduled replacements were set for a later date, will have to wait for a new schedule from Immigration. In the meantime, Immigration may extend the application period for those born in 1962 and 1963. Details will be announced later.

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Everyone with an appointment for securing new smart identity cards may proceed to the SIDDCs as soon as service resumes, and need not make another appointment.

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Those who were unable to pick up their new smart IDs because of the service suspension may also proceed to the SIDCCs as soon as they resume operations.

For the latest information or details of the Territory-wide Identity Card Replacement Exercise, please check the latest press release, or visit www.smartid.gov.hk or call the enquiry hotline 3521 6565 during working hours.

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Filipinas arrested as HK police probe ATM money laundering scam

Posted on No comments

By Vir B. Lumicao 

3 Filipina DHs were arrested after their ATM cards from HSBC were used to launder money

An undetermined number of Filipino domestic workers have been arrested as the Hong Kong police has begun investigating a money laundering operation in which illicit money transfers were made using the workers’ ATM accounts.

Last night, Consul General Raly Tejada confirmed there had been arrests and that the Consulate is helping them.

Yes I can confirm that merong mga nakasuhan at tinutulungan ngayon ng Konsulado,” ConGen Tejada said in response to an enquiry. (I can confirm that some people have been arrested and they are now being helped by the Consulate).

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One of the two Filipinas who claimed they were deceived into lending their ATM cards to an operative of the syndicate was arrested on Jan 15. The woman, C.P., was released on bail by police but was fired by her employer the next day.

On Wednesday night, her friend M.N., who was so scared the police would pick her up any time, was dismissed by her employers for getting into the mess.

C.P. and M.N. told The SUN that they were enticed by another friend in January  last year to respond to an advertisement on Facebook offering part-time jobs that could earn them thousands in just weeks.

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A fellow Filipina who replied to their enquiry told them they needed to have ATM accounts for payment of their earnings. Initially they would be paid $500 each, but it turned out that was all they would get for the scam that cost them their jobs.

When the woman learned they had no ATM accounts, she told them to get in touch with another Filipina who would help open accounts at HSBC for them.

Sabi niya may kakilala daw siya na mag-open ng account sa bangko at magkakapera daw ako. Sabi ko, Ah ganun? Magkakapera daw ako? Magagamit ko naman yung ATM?” recounted M.N., the more talkative of the two.

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(She said she knows somebody at the bank who can open the accounts for us. Is that so, I asked. I’d be earning money? Will I be able to use my ATM?)

Oo, magagamit mo 24/7, sabi niya. E di masaya ako dahil may ATM na ako, magkakapera pa ako,” she said. (Yes, you’ll use it 24/7, she said. I was so glad because I’ll be having an ATM account and be earning at the same time.) 

The 3 victims say a fellow Filipina helped them to open an account with HSBC 

So, later that same month, C.P., M.N. and their friend went to an HSBC branch in a place they said they could not remember, and met the Filipina who was to assist them waiting there. She coached them on what to tell the teller.

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Ganito ang gawin nyo ha. Ito answer nyo, sabihin nyo sa teller na kailangan makuha nyo rin ngayon ang ATM dahil gagamitin nyo bukas.”

(This is what you’ll tell the teller. Tell her you have to get the ATM cards today because you’ll be needing them tomorrow.)

After the cards were issued, the woman reportedly collected them as well as the PIN codes. She told them some businessmen needed to keep the cards for about a week and the helper would be receiving further payments in return.

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Days later they received emails on their phones from the bank showing that $50,000 or $30,000 was deposited to their accounts, M.N. said. They began to worry and told the woman about the large deposits.

Ang sabi kasi, ibibigay daw $500. Nagugulat kami kung bakit may ganito kaming kalaking pera. Tapos may nagmi-message na hindi ko kakilala. Nakalimutan ko kung magkano yun, $50,000 o $30,000. Sabi niya, huwag kayong matatakot,” said M.N. (We were told we’d be paid $500. We were surprised we had such big amounts. Then someone I didn’t know would call. He told us not to worry.)

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The helpers claimed they had no idea it was money laundering until police came to arrest C.P. in her employer’s flat in Tseung Kwan O.

Natataranta ako sa takot noon. Pumasok ako sa kuwarto at gusto kong tumalon,” C.P.  said. (I panicked out of fear. I went into my room and wanted to jump out.)

During investigation, she told police she didn’t know about the big money transactions because she had lost her ATM card.

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The more frantic of the three helpers was M.N., whose voice trembled as she related how her mother had fallen sick from worrying, after learning that she lost her job. She said her family advised her to go home as soon as possible. 

C.P., on the hand, had fallen silent.

As a result of the arrests, the Filipino community was reminded by the Consulate to take care of their ATM cards and not to entrust the PIN or personal identification number of the cards to other persons who could use these for illegal transactions.

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3 UK returnees, 2 Indo DHs among 70 new Covid-19 cases

Posted on 21 January 2021 No comments

 By The SUN 

The 3 from UK had stayed in Dubai for a month before flying on to HK where they tested positive

Three people from Britain who had stayed in Dubai for a month before flying on to Hong Kong as well as two Indonesian domestic helpers who developed symptoms while in quarantine were among 70 new coronavirus cases reported today, Jan. 21.

One of the Indonesians, a 25-year-old who was spending her quarantine in Ramada Harbour View in Sai Ying Pun, experienced symptoms on Jan 11, but was found infected only after a second test.

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The other, who is 21 years old, developed symptoms only on Jan 19, shortly after arriving from Jakarta. But she was had already moved to Regal Oriental Hotel in Kowloon when she tested positive.

The three passengers who had originally flown out of Britain to Dubai, tested positive on their arrival in Hong Kong on board a connecting flight from Singapore.

Two of them, both males aged 33 and 63, had symptoms, while the other, a 63-year-old female, was asymptomatic.

Starting on Dec 22, Hong Kong had banned travelers who had been in Britain in the past 21 days, after a highly infectious strain of the coronavirus was found in the country.

The five were among seven imported cases reported today. The two others were both returnees who tested positive at the airport. One was a 30-year-old man who came from Malaysia and the other was a 22-year-old woman from Nepal.

Most of the Kowloon buildings where infections were detected are old and ill maintained 

Of the 63 local cases, 31 were from the virus-plagued districts of Yau Ma Tei, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok districts. Twenty of the cases were detected at the Yau Ma Tei community testing centre.

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More than 40 preliminary positive cases were also recorded.

Among them was an 80-year-old man living in a care home on Battery Street in Yau Ma Tei who could walk about but never went outside. Health officials are checking the source of his infection. Meantime, 21 residents and staff have been identified as close contacts and would be sent for quarantine.

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Mandatory tests were ordered for residents of two more buildings in the designated area in YauTsimMong. One is 121 Woosung Street and the other is 7-10 Ferry Street.

Compulsory testing will also be issued for those living in Tak Yam House in Laguna City Block 5, and Prosperous Garden Block 2 in Yau Ma Tei.

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Meanwhile, Dr Linda Yu, chief manager of the Hospital Authority, appealed to medical workers to avoid sharing meals after two nurses at different hospitals tested preliminary positive for Covid-19.

“Chinese New Year is coming and we want to appeal again for our staff and also the public to refrain from social gatherings,” she said.

One of the nurses who works in Queen Elizabeth Hospital tested preliminary positive after eating with an infected colleague from North District Hospital. She also had meals with five other nurses and a staff at Queen Elizabeth.

Another nurse in Princess Margaret Hospital tested preliminary positive after having a meal with a colleague, although there was a partition between them.

Meanwhile, a confirmed patient passed away in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll in public hospitals from the virus to 163.

A total of 695 patients are currently being treated in 24 public hospitals and the treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo. Among them, 37 are in critical condition, 30 are serious, while the remaining 628 are in stable condition.

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CHP experts give first priority for Covid-19 vaccines to those in care homes

Posted on No comments

By The SUN 

Residents and staff in care homes such as this one will get the first jabs


Experts under the Centre for Health Protection have put residents and staff of care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities at the top of the list for getting the Covid-19 vaccine in Hong Kong.

Next in line are medical workers or those in essential services that are at high risk of exposure to the coronavirus, and residents aged 60 years and above.

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On third priority are persons with chronic medical problems aged between 16 and 59 years.

No mention was made of other residents not in the designated categories in a statement published today, Jan 21, in the government’s website.


Experts from two CHP committees, along with a panel advising the government on its coronavirus response, say there will not be enough vaccines to protect all of the city’s 7.5 million residents in the first stage of the inoculation program. Thus, they said the best approach is to protect the most vulnerable initially.

The government has procured 22.5 million doses of three different vaccines, and had intended to start the inoculation by this month.

However, the vaccine from Sinovac, which was initially expected to arrive later this month, has yet to be cleared for use as it has reportedly failed to submit enough data to the government.

The BioNTech and AstaZeneca vaccines will be given first

The government statement said the expert recommendations focused only on two vaccines: BioNTech provided by Fosun Pharma, and Astra Zeneca.

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Both vaccines should be taken in two doses each, and the same type of vaccine should be given to each individual.

The free and voluntary inoculation is reported to be on track to start after the Lunar New Year.

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The experts said vaccination is just one of the tools for ensuring people’s safety during the pandemic. Thus, everyone must continue good personal hygiene, maintain social distancing, and wear masks at all times in public places.

The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases and the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases under CHP published their interim recommendations after their joint meeting on Jan 7 on protocols for the use of Covid-19 vaccines.

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Details on the scientific evidence used and the reasons for the recommendations may be found on the CHP website (www.chp.gov.hk/en/static/24008.html).

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