A Standard Chartered bank manager has been suspended after she allegedly leaked client information to her police officer husband, according to the bank's Facebook page.

This came after people online - believed to be bank employees - revealed early this month that the manager had allegedly stolen clients' personal information from the bank's computer system to assist a police investigation.

The bank stated it would investigate the matter on October 11, and on Saturday replied on Facebook that the manager had been suspended.

"The bank is conducting an investigation and for ensuring rigor and objectivity, an external consultant will provide an additional review," it wrote.

"We emphasize that the bank has no tolerance for misconduct. The bank has ceased all of her duties and she has no access to client information."

The manager had allegedly been helping her husband access the information of at least nine clients when she was working in a branch in Olympian City in Tai Kok Tsui between August and September.

She was accused of using four colleagues' login IDs to assess the information in August and September, prompting some to resign for fear her misconduct would lead to them facing reprisals.

Netizens also said she called protesters "cockroaches" on multiple occasions and praised the police operation on August 31.

The manager was later deployed to another branch office at Maritime Square in Tsing Yi after the allegation came to light, according to online rumors.

Netizens and concerned clients of Standard Chartered complained to the Monetary Authority in early October, which replied on October 12 that it was aware of the incident but would not comment.

Barrister Albert Luk Wai-hung said the police must obtain a court warrant for the purpose of investigation before asking the banks to hand over clients' information.

The manager might have committed the crimes of stealing and accessing a computer with criminal intent by obtaining clients' information from the bank, he said.

"What's more serious is that she broke the trust between clients and the bank. That might result in a jail term if she is convicted," he said.

If the allegations are true, her husband could also be prosecuted for handling stolen goods, he said.

The clients who had their information obtained via illegal methods for use as evidence against them in lawsuits can request the court not to use the information, he said.