A bureau spokesman said Cheng was hired under the government’s post-retirement service contract scheme this month.
Preliminary investigations found that Cheng covered the costs of his flight upgrade to Tianjin and his accommodation.
The bureau said the five-star suite upgrade was granted due to Cheng’s senior membership status with the hotel group.
The spokesman added that authorities had reminded Cheng to be mindful of public perception when sharing details of his personal life on social media.
A government source said that while Cheng was employed under a post-retirement contract, he was still a civil servant at the time of his Macau trip, which was dated May 16, 2025, according to a screengrab of his social media post.
Cheng obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Simon Fraser University in Canada in his early years. In 1997, he joined the Hong Kong government at the grade of trade officer in the former industry department. He subsequently held various overseas postings, including at the InvestHK Chengdu office and the government’s Economic and Trade Offices in Singapore, Berlin and Jakarta.
Ip said accepting the TurboJet upgrade could constitute a breach of the Acceptance of Advantages Regulations, part of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
“(It is) highly indiscreet of him to boast about his perks on social media. There could be a conflict of interest if the perks were offered because of his official position,” Ip said. “The Civil Service Bureau should investigate whether the perks were offered.”
In a reply to the Post, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) said it would not comment on any specific incident, adding it would follow up on any suspected corruption in accordance with the law and established procedures.
Stephen Char Shik-ngor, a former ICAC chief investigator, said the commission had “reasonable grounds” for looking into Cheng’s case, arguing that taking upgraded services and hotel accommodations could be interpreted as “acceptance of an advantage”.
“Even if Cheng is found not to have committed any offences under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, he may still face disciplinary action if, as a public servant, he solicited or accepted frequent or extravagant entertainment,” he said.
Lawmaker Aaron Bok Kwok-ming, who is also a former head of civil engineering at the Civil Engineering and Development Department, said the incident reflected Cheng’s poor sensitivity towards public perception and the need to maintain the government’s image.
“Especially for senior civil servants, they need to maintain an image of impartiality and integrity. Therefore, they need to be more cautious than others when it comes to receiving hospitality and daily behaviour,” Bok said.
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