Hong Kong seeks to extradite secretary accused of stealing US$1 m from expat boss

A 47-year-old woman has been arrested in California on an arrest issued in Hong Kong, where she has been accused of stealing HK$7.5 million (approximately US$1 million) from leading expatriate businessman Christopher Rampton to pay off her gambling debts.Helena Yuen-Lan Lau, a Hong Kong national born on September 24, 1960, was arrested on August 12, 2008 – 15 days after a complaint for her arrest with a view to her extradition to Hong Kong was filed at the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The complaint was filed under seal and unsealed after her arrest. She is currently in custody. Her motion to be released on bond pending the outcome of the extradition proceedings was scheduled for September 9, 2008.