A former information technology manager at Deloitte has been sentenced to 22 months in prison for stealing 423 laptops valued at approximately HK$1.2 million from the firm’s office in Hong Kong. Ho Man-tik, 40, pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of theft involving the misappropriation and resale of Lenovo laptops between September 2021 and February 2023.

The District Court handed down the sentence on August 19, citing Ho’s breach of employer trust over an extended period. Deputy Judge Minnie Wat Lai-man noted that Ho had been unable to repay Deloitte, as he lost all proceeds from the sales through unsuccessful stock trading, an addiction he said motivated the theft. Despite this, the judge considered several mitigating factors, including Ho’s admission of guilt, his mental health challenges, and the minimal damage caused to Deloitte’s reputation.

The court also observed that Ho was unlikely to offend again and was supported by family members who had helped prevent him from attempting suicide following the exposure of his crimes.

The misconduct came to light on February 13, 2023, when an IT engineer discovered a discrepancy involving 399 missing laptops at Deloitte’s office located in Cityplaza, Quarry Bay. Subsequent examination of live surveillance footage revealed Ho, who was supposed to be on leave that day, attempting to sell a box containing 15 laptops to an electronics recycling company around 7:30 p.m. The engineer and an administrative officer intervened to stop the sale.

Two days later, Ho confessed to his supervisor and disclosed that additional stolen laptops were found at the recycler’s premises in Mong Kok’s Sin Tat Plaza. The recycler’s owner reported that Ho claimed he had authorization from Deloitte to sell the devices, alleging they were outdated or wrongly procured.

Bank statements showed Ho had received over HK$458,000 from these illegal sales, and he also admitted to receiving some payments in cash from the recycler. Defense lawyers explained that Ho’s actions were partly driven by personal pressures, including his wife’s struggle with postnatal depression and his father’s lung cancer surgery.

The theft offenses carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, but because the case was tried in District Court, the maximum term applicable was seven years.