Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has charged the former Assistant Vice President of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited with bribery and two other individuals with obstructing justice.

The Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption announced on November 21 that they have filed charges against former Assistant Vice President of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00388), Tan Zhuoyan, accusing him of accepting bribes totaling 150,000 Hong Kong dollars in exchange for disclosing confidential information of listed companies. Two other individuals, Zhou Zigang and Deng Qingyu, are also facing charges of obstructing the course of justice, related to criminal investigations of insider trading by the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. Tan Zhuoyan, 38 years old, former Assistant Vice President of the Information Technology Department of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, is charged with two counts of accepting advantages as a public servant, in breach of Section 4(2)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. Co-defendants Zhou Zigang, 38 years old, and Deng Qingyu, 39 years old, are charged with one count of obstructing the course of justice, in violation of common law. All three individuals have been granted bail by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and the case will be heard at the Eastern Magistrates' Court on November 25. The prosecution will later apply for the case to be transferred to the District Court for trial. The investigation into corruption is still ongoing, and the Independent Commission Against Corruption does not rule out further enforcement actions or prosecution against other individuals involved in the case. The Independent Commission Against Corruption initiated a joint investigation with the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong after receiving complaints of insider trading involving corruption. The investigation found that Tan Zhuoyan was authorized to access emails from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for work-related purposes, containing sensitive information and confidential documents of listed companies. This information was only to be accessed by designated personnel in the listing department for official use and was not to be disclosed to unauthorized individuals. Tan Zhuoyan is alleged to have accepted two bribes totaling 150,000 Hong Kong dollars from Zhou Zigang in June and December 2024, in exchange for disclosing illegally obtained confidential information related to stock prices from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange email system. Zhou Zigang and Deng Qingyu are accused of engaging in a series of actions intended to obstruct the course of justice in a criminal investigation of suspected insider trading involving Zhou Zigang on March 4, 2025. These actions include Zhou Zigang instructing Deng Qingyu to safeguard approximately 3.9 million Hong Kong dollars in cash, two watches worth over 1 million Hong Kong dollars in total, and a mobile phone, as well as interfering with the operation of the dashcam in Deng Qingyu's car to influence the investigation. The Independent Commission Against Corruption is committed to upholding integrity in the Hong Kong financial market and will vigorously enforce against any corrupt and illegal activities that undermine fair market operations. They have closely collaborated with the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong during the investigation and received full cooperation from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.