Vinci Lam SC and Ferrida Chan secured an acquittal in a case of passing counterfeit notes in the District Court

In HKSAR v. Chen Beibei (DCCC 166/2025), Vinci Lam SC and Ferrida Chan represented a defendant accused of passing 24 counterfeit US$100 banknotes to a bank teller, allegedly knowing or believing them to be counterfeit currency.

The defence case was that she did not know they were counterfeit notes as they were passed to her by her father whom she trusted yet she stated in her cautioned interviews that she herself changed them because the police told her not to mention her father.

After a 6‑day trial, the Court held that the Prosecution had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant’s alleged admission was made voluntarily, and accordingly excluded it from the evidence.

Having carefully considered all the evidence, in particular the defendant’s excellent background, education and personal standing, the Court also found there was a genuine doubt as to whether she had knowledge or belief that the banknotes were counterfeit at the material time. The defendant was accordingly acquitted.

See Vinci’s profile here: https://lnkd.in/gSTZHxsf

See Ferrida’s profile here: https://lnkd.in/gVny6sXM