AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2006
Qld:Gambling addict academic jailed for theft
BRISBANE, Aug 18 AAP - An academic whose job led him to develop a gambling habit has
been jailed for 15 months for stealing more than $220,000.
Qian Ming Zeng, 42, pleaded guilty in the Queensland District Court in Brisbane to
14 fraud-related offences committed between November 2003 and June 2005.
Chinese-born Zeng migrated to Australia in 1998 and from 2001 was employed by IAE Study
in Australia, which operates an international education office helping overseas students
seeking to study here.
He was employed by the Fortitude Valley company as a consultant who helped students
pay their tuition fees.
The court was told part of Zeng's job was to entertain the students and their families
when they came to Brisbane.
They would often ask to gamble at the casino, because gambling is prohibited in mainland
China, and would give Zeng money to join in.
Eventually this developed into a gambling habit and Zeng kept students' tuition fees,
instead of passing them onto the company.
The court was told Zeng confessed the theft to the company, but fled to China because
loan sharks were after him and he feared for his life.
Zeng eventually contacted the Australian Federal Police and voluntarily returned to Brisbane.
Zeng was formerly vice-dean of the English department at a teachers' college in China,
and completed an MBA at Griffith University when he migrated to Australia.
AAP smk/sc/srp/nf
KEYWORD: ZENG
) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.
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