On January 17, 2025, Leung Kam-yick, a 74-year-old small house applicant, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the Lands Department by transferring his non-transferable “Ding Rights” to a developer for $100,000, under the New Territories Small House Policy. The case, involving 11 individuals including developers, village representatives, and applicants, centered on a Yuen Long estate project where 115 small houses were built and sold at market prices, generating over $1 billion. ICAC investigations revealed widespread purchase of “Ding Rights” by middlemen and developers since the 1990s. Two applicants have already been jailed, while other defendants, including the developer and indigenous inhabitant representative, face upcoming trials or pre-trial reviews. The Lands Department fully cooperated with the ICAC investigation.
Resources: https://www.icac.org.hk/en/p/press/index_id_2035.html