Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission: revoke Mei Zuohua's license and ban him from re-entering the industry for 2 years.

The Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (SFC) has revoked the license of Mak Zok Wah (male) and withdrawn its approval for him to serve as a responsible officer of Bao Tong Securities Asia Limited (Bao Tong Securities) due to his conviction for theft and delayed notification to the SFC of his criminal prosecution. Mak has also been prohibited from re-entering the industry for a period of two years, from May 16, 2025 to May 15, 2027. Mak was arrested by the Hong Kong Police Force on June 13, 2024 for stealing a wallet left at an ATM machine. On September 11, 2024, Mak was convicted of theft by the Eastern Magistrates' Court. Mak failed to promptly notify the SFC of his criminal prosecution, and only did so after being convicted by the court, resulting in a delay of about three months, which constitutes a violation of the Securities and Futures Ordinance and the Securities and Futures (Licensing and Registration) Rules. Given Mak's conviction and delayed notification of his criminal prosecution to the SFC, the SFC believes he has engaged in misconduct and is not a suitable person to continue to hold a license for regulated activities. When deciding on the aforementioned disciplinary action, the SFC took into account Mak's cooperation in addressing the matters of concern raised by the SFC, as well as his clean disciplinary record in the past.