33 arrested on suspicion of scamming the government's technology funding

ICAC arrested 33 people on suspicion of scamming the government's technology funding involving of more than 150 million dollars.

The suspects were from two corruption syndicates.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption arrested the 33 suspects in two separate operations this month.

In the first operation, which involved the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Scheme, authorities found that a service provider had submitted more than 1,000 applications of relevant subsidy for small and medium enterprises.

ICAC also discovered the corruption syndicate had suspected of employing three vendors which claimed to offer free assistance to the enterprises in applying for government technology subsidies.

In the event, six men and three women, aged between 27 and 58, were arrested.

The second operation involved the Technology Voucher Programme.

ICAC investigation showed that six IT services suppliers were involved in about 470 related applications with subsidies amounting to more than 100 million dollars.

A total of 18 men and six women, aged between 30 and 66, were arrested.

After the ICAC's intervention and interdepartmental cooperation, authorities put on hold almost 90 percent of the subsidies.