Hong Kong businessman charged with providing surrogacy services overseas
Harcourt director Alfred Siu and company manager Lin Siu-fong charged with taking part in, and receiving payment for, surrogacy arrangement
A Hong Kong businessman and his company have been charged with providing surrogacy services overseas and advertising them in the city, where such arrangements are illegal.
Harcourt director Alfred Siu Wing-fung, 70, appeared in Eastern Court on Monday to face the summary offences charging him with taking part in, and receiving payment for, a surrogacy arrangement, between March 11 to April 25 last year.
Surrogacy in Hong Kong is illegal under the Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance. Any promotion of such services for commercial purposes, even if they are not performed locally, is also prohibited.
The company and its manager, Lin Siu-fong, 43, were charged with the same offence.
The summary charges alleged the defendants of receiving a payment of HK$10,000 (US$1,280) to make a surrogacy arrangement in their Central office.
Officers posed as customers to gather evidence and later arrested 10 people in connection with the service.
The South China Morning Post confirmed that the current proceedings were in relation to the earlier arrest.