The head of the Hong Kong government’s liaison office in Tianjin has been fired and will face a criminal probe after his online posts showed him enjoying alleged perks such as a private ferry cabin upgrade on a trip to Macau.
The government said in a late-night statement on Wednesday that following concerns arising from posts by Ricky Cheng Chun-sang, director of the Tianjin Liaison Unit, it had conducted further investigations.
“It has been considered that the incident in which Mr Cheng’s seat being upgraded on a vessel during his earlier trip to Macau is suspected of breaching the provisions under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance regarding civil servants accepting advantages without permission,” the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said.
The case had been referred to law enforcement authorities for follow-up action, it added.
“Mr Cheng is a contract staff [member] of the bureau. It has decided to terminate his contract with immediate effect,” it said.
Cheng had earlier shared photos and selfies on the social media platform Threads that allegedly showcased offers.
Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, convenor of the government’s key decision-making Executive Council, had earlier described Cheng’s alleged behaviour as “highly indiscreet”, and urged the Civil Service Bureau to look into the matter.
While the online posts were no longer available, screenshots of Cheng’s posts showed that he had thanked a senior executive at the city’s leading high-speed ferry operator, TurboJet, for arranging a private cabin for his journey between Hong Kong and Macau.
One image showed Cheng in a spacious cabin furnished with sofas and a television.
“My esteemed friend Alan, who holds a senior executive position at TurboJet, graciously arranged a private cabin for my voyage from Hong Kong to Macau. Truly exceptional. My deepest gratitude, Sir Alan,” the post said.
The Post has reached out to TurboJet for comment.
In a separate Threads post, Cheng expressed delight at being “luckily upgraded” to a suite during a stay at the Ritz-Carlton in Tianjin.
He included a video showing the room’s facilities and a photo of a personalised welcome note from the hotel’s regional general manager addressed to “Mr Cheng”.
“Settled in safely at Tianjin’s Ritz-Carlton and got a complimentary upgrade to a suite. Feeling quite pleased,” the post said.
A bureau spokesman said Cheng was hired under the government’s post-retirement service contract scheme this month.
Preliminary investigations found that Cheng covered the costs of his flight upgrade to Tianjin and his accommodation.
The bureau said the five-star suite upgrade was granted due to Cheng’s senior membership status with the hotel group.
The spokesman added that authorities had reminded Cheng to be mindful of public perception when sharing details of his personal life on social media.
A government source said that while Cheng was employed under a post-retirement contract, he was still a civil servant at the time of his Macau trip, which was dated May 16, 2025, according to a screengrab of his social media post.
Ip said accepting the TurboJet upgrade could constitute a breach of the Acceptance of Advantages Regulations, part of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
“[It is] highly indiscreet of him to boast about his perks on social media. There could be a conflict of interest if the perks were offered because of his official position,” Ip said. “The Civil Service Bureau should investigate whether the perks were offered.”
In a reply to the Post, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said it would not comment on any specific incident, adding it would follow up on any suspected corruption in accordance with the law and established procedures.
Stephen Char Shik-ngor, a former ICAC chief investigator, said the commission had “reasonable grounds” for looking into Cheng’s case, arguing that taking upgraded services and hotel accommodations could be interpreted as “acceptance of an advantage”.
“Even if Cheng is found not to have committed any offenses under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, he may still face disciplinary action if, as a public servant, he solicited or accepted frequent or extravagant entertainment,” he said.
Lawmaker Aaron Bok Kwok-ming, who is also the former head of civil engineering at the Civil Engineering and Development Department, said the incident reflected Cheng’s poor sensitivity towards public perception and the need to maintain the government’s image.
“Especially for senior civil servants, they need to maintain an image of impartiality and integrity. Therefore, they need to be more cautious than others when it comes to receiving hospitality and daily behaviour,” Bok said.
Bok, who was also re-employed by the government on a post-retirement contract in 2022, said public servants hired on such arrangements should observe the same set of rules as those on regular contracts.
He noted that many senior civil servants chose to fly in economy class for business trips, even when they were entitled to business seats so they could save public funds.
“When we first joined the government, the Civil Service Bureau would conduct training on corruption prevention and the acceptable level of benefits we could receive. It should be very clear to every civil servant,” he said.
Johnny Ng Kit-chong, a member of the Legislative Council’s Panel on Public Service, said the bureau had a Civil Service Code that included guidelines on public servants accepting hospitality and gifts.
According to the code, government staff must ensure that no actual, perceived or potential conflicts of interest arise between their official duties and private interests.
If such a conflict occurs, the code states that they “should declare it to their supervisors as soon as possible, so the supervisors can decide how best to proceed or escalate the matter for a determination if necessary”.
Civil servants should also avoid using their official position to seek personal gain for themselves or others, according to the code. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
