SFC moves to freeze assets of 3 insider traders who have left Hong Kong

AdvertisementSFCBusinessCompaniesSFC moves to freeze assets of 3 insider traders who have left Hong KongFormer HKEX listing division staffer and two relatives used confidential information to trade shares between 2020 and 2025Reading Time:2 minutesWhy you can trust SCMPEnoch YiuPublished: 7:30am, 25 Feb 2026The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has secured for the first time separate court orders in Hong Kong and the UK to freeze HK$4.3 million (US$552,948) in assets belonging to three alleged insider traders – including a former Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) staffer – who have left the city.The city’s Court of First Instance granted a worldwide interim injunction order against the trio – former HKEX listing division staffer Chan Ching-wa and his relatives Lam Cho-man and Chau Chi-kwong – who were alleged to have used non-public company information to trade shares of at least seven Hong Kong-listed companies for profit or to avoid losses between June 2020 and March 2025.In parallel, the SFC obtained an interim injunction order from the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales to freeze the assets of Chan and Chau in the UK.AdvertisementThe commission’s actions are based on section 213 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance, which allows it to seek compensation for victims from those found liable for malpractice in the stock market.The court orders to freeze assets underscore the SFC’s commitment to ensure compensation for investors. It also marks the latest example of international collaboration among regulators to crack down on market irregularities and safeguard investors’ interests.Advertisement“The UK order obtained by the SFC would ensure that there are assets left to meet any future relief granted by the court, as the three suspects have left Hong Kong and transferred their assets outside Hong Kong,” the SFC said in a statement.AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x