E Deloitte IT manager stole 400+ laptops to fund stock trading, made ₹55 lakh from sales
A former information technology (IT) manager at Deloitte was remanded in custody in Hong Kong after stealing around 423 laptops from the company’s office over
A former information technology (IT) manager at Deloitte was remanded in custody in Hong Kong after stealing around 423 laptops from the company’s office over 17 months to fund his stock-trading addiction. According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Ho Man-Kit, 40, pleaded guilty at Hong Kong’s District Court to stealing Lenovo computers worth approximately HK$1.2 million (₹1.46 crore) between September 2021 and February 2023. The former employee was accused of stealing laptops belonging to professional services firm Deloitte and selling them to fund his personal stock market investments. Prosecutors told the court that the thefts took place while he was working in the company’s IT department.
Bank records showed that Ho received more than HK$458,000 (around ₹55 lakh) from the sale of the laptops. Investigators alleged that he used the proceeds for stock trading, which eventually resulted in significant financial losses. Laptop shortage exposed theft The case came to light after an IT engineer discovered that 399 laptops were missing from Deloitte’s office at Cityplaza in Quarry Bay. The employee informed the administration, prompting a review of CCTV footage. Ho confessed to his manager two days later and surrendered himself to police that same afternoon. A detective constable later recovered 24 other Deloitte laptops from a recycler’s premises at Sin Tat Plaza in Mong Kok.
The recycler’s owner told investigators that Ho had claimed Deloitte had authorised him to sell the laptops, saying they were either outdated or had been purchased by mistake. Defence cites personal, family pressures According to the SCMP, Ho was not required to enter a plea during the hearing. His defence lawyer told the court that he was remorseful and ashamed of his actions and had attempted suicide a day before surrendering to the authorities. The court was also told that Ho had been facing significant personal and family pressures. His wife had been dealing with postnatal depression, while his father was undergoing treatment following surgery for lung cancer.
Man stole six laptops from Bengaluru office Meanwhile, in a similar incident that came to light earlier this year, a man stole six laptops from the office of Linking Spaces Technologies Pvt Ltd in HSR Layout Sector 1 on April 30. According to the complaint, the unidentified suspect entered the office through an open door shortly after it opened at around 9.30 am. He picked up six laptops from the desks, put them in a bag and fled on a two-wheeler. The theft was discovered by staff later, and a complaint was filed two days after the incident.
The BriefWire