Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department inspector sued over lottery winnings

Fourteen colleagues from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department's Market Vitalization Team in Hong Kong have filed a lawsuit in the High Court against a fellow inspector, Ling Junting, to recover approximately HK$28.91 million in Mark Six lottery winnings.

The plaintiffs allege that the group formed a lottery fund to build team spirit, with participants contributing varying amounts to purchase tickets. In September, a ticket purchased by Ling won a semi-first prize of approximately HK$33.12 million. According to the writ, Ling's proportional share was roughly HK$4.21 million, leaving HK$28.91 million to be distributed among the other 14 members.

The lawsuit claims that after the win, Ling deleted WhatsApp screenshots of the winning numbers and refused to produce the physical ticket or distribute the funds. The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to prevent Ling from using the money and are requesting the court to declare that the winnings are held in trust for the group.