Education authorities have stressed that they were not aware of the reopening of a private tutoring group that abruptly closed, after one location was said to have welcomed students again.

Brilliant Education, which had several sites on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon, closed down last week.

However, parents were told that the tutorial chain’s branch in Kornhill reopened its doors on Saturday.

A man, claimed to be authorised to speak on behalf of the company’s board, told reporters that the chain’s executives did not decide to shut, but someone else had put up the closure notices.

Responding to media enquiries, the Education Bureau said it was not aware of the situation.

“With regard to Brilliant Education, the Education Bureau has so far not received any notice of closure and/or reopening of the school, and it will closely monitor the development of the situation,” a government spokesperson said.

Customs said last week that it had received 300 complaints from parents who had been left HK$2.5 million out of pocket after paying for courses up front.

The chain’s 50-year-old director had earlier been arrested on suspicion of contravening the Trade Descriptions Ordinance by wrongly accepting payments for prepaid tutorial programmes.