A former Deloitte IT manager and department head has been jailed for 22 months after admitting one count of theft involving 423 company laptops. He was responsible for managing stocks of newly purchased and spare computers when he used his position to take and resell them.
The case involved 423 laptops belonging to Deloitte, while the amount linked to their resale was reported at about HK$1.2 million. Police recovered 24 of the computers from a recycling shop.
The thefts came to light during an inventory check on 13 February 2023, when colleagues found 399 laptops missing. Closed-circuit television footage later showed the defendant handing boxes containing Lenovo laptops to a recycler, where Deloitte staff stopped the transaction.
The defendant surrendered to police two days later while accompanied by a colleague. During a recorded cautioned interview, he admitted taking and selling 399 new laptops in batches.
The court found that he had breached the company’s trust, used his position to conceal the offending and acted over a lengthy and planned period, causing Deloitte actual loss.
In mitigation, the defendant told the company the truth and surrendered to police. After the final incomplete transaction, he returned money to the recycler. The court considered these actions to have reduced the loss and shown remorse.
The defendant said gambling addiction or financial pressure had contributed to the offending. He also said the money from the sales was used for speculation or share trading and was eventually lost. He was unable to compensate Deloitte.
The District Court imposed the 22-month sentence on 21 August 2026. It said there was no evidence that the case had affected Deloitte’s reputation or public confidence in the firm.