Two former employees of Alipay Payment Services (HK) Limited, the company behind AlipayHK, and their wives have been charged with conspiracy to defraud over an alleged undisclosed conflict of interest in the outsourcing of an app-development contract. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The defendants are Li Zhenyu, 46, described as a former senior business development specialist at APSHK; Liang Jian’en, 44, described as a former senior business development manager; Li’s wife, Liang Jiali, 43; and Liang Jian’en’s wife, Sun Qing, 40.
The prosecution alleges that the two former employees invested in or operated Yujia Technology, an application-development company, and arranged for their wives to be its shareholders and directors. The employees allegedly did not seek approval from Ant Group or APSHK, and failed to disclose the relationship and related conflicts of interest.
Yujia Technology was allegedly appointed as the outsourced technical developer for AlipayHK’s “Yijian Yue” mini-program. The service allowed users to book vaccinations and health examinations with medical institutions and pay the related fees. The alleged conspiracy began in November 2022 and continued until June, with the year of the June endpoint unspecified in the report.
Ming Pao reported that Yujia Technology allegedly received commissions of about 5% to 8% from medical institutions for transactions conducted through the service. The two employees allegedly used their positions to deceive APSHK and induce it to award the development contract, thereby obtaining private benefits.
The ICAC said it began investigating after receiving a corruption complaint and uncovered the alleged conduct. It said the relevant rules prohibit employees from operating or investing in outsourced technical developers that do business with the company, and require conflicts of interest to be declared.
All four defendants face one count of conspiracy to defraud and have been granted bail. They were scheduled to enter pleas at Eastern Magistrates’ Court on September 10, 2026, according to Ming Pao.