Hong Kong court clears woman of forging qualifications in talent scheme application

A mainland Chinese woman, Xu Lina, was acquitted in Hong Kong's Sha Tin Court on Monday of forging academic qualifications in her application for the city's talent scheme. The charge stemmed from allegations that she submitted false documents to the Immigration Department. Magistrate Raymond Wong Kwok-fai ruled that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Xu knowingly and intentionally conspired to defraud, suggesting she may have been defrauded by her agent. The judge stated that while Xu may have been negligent in not verifying her application, this did not equate to a deliberate attempt to deceive. Therefore, the court found her not guilty.