Scott Chiang (left) and Jason Chao
At a press conference yesterday, the New Macau Association (ANM) president, Scott Chiang, and vice president, Jason Chao, voiced their skepticism that former top prosecutor Ho Chio Meng ‘s alleged corruption had no effect upon his judicial responsibilities.
Ho Chio Meng, the former Prosecutor General, has been detained in relation to a suspected case of corruption that is currently being investigated by the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC). He is accused of giving undue preference to certain companies and organizations in the granting of contracts by the Public Prosecutions Office (MP). In exchange, he and other suspects in the case are accused of receiving at least MOP44 million.
The CCAC commissioner, André Cheong, made clear at a press conference on Sunday that Ho was being investigated solely for the alleged misconduct regarding the tenders, and that it “does not involve the exercising of judicial powers.”
However, ANM members raised doubts yesterday over the scope of Ho’s alleged misconduct.
“They [the CCAC] defined the scope of the investigation to the affairs of the prosecution office, but we do not believe that the judicial duties were not affected,” said Jason Chao. “If you can bribe Ho with MOP44 million, then his official duties could be bought as well. […] The implication is just terrifying because what’s being compromissed is the integrity of investigations,” Scott Chiang said.
“In Macau terms it’s almost embarrassingly low,” he added, commenting on the size of the sum allegedly awarded to Ho. “According to the information available, the bribery [amounted to] around a quarter of [the value of the] contract deals. If the costs amount to a quarter, imagine how much mark-up you need to make [the deal profitable].”
Stressing Ho Chio Meng’s experience as the head of the previous anti-corruption bureau under the Portuguese administration, Chao claimed that, “Ho is a real expert in corruption. How can we believe that he only accepted MOP44 million in 10 years?”
“[It is] also difficult to believe his duties were not compromised at all,” added Chao.
Ho had, on several occasions, been considered a potential candidate for the position of Chief Executive, a possibility that he has never denied. In light of President Xi’s anti-corruption campaign in mainland China, the ANM president speculated that the case “has something to do with fighting –
behind the scenes – for influence in Beijing,” suggesting that Ho may have fallen in Beijing’s estimation.
“What is happening here is just an extension of what is happening across the border [in mainland China],” commented Chiang.
The two ANM leaders implied that the bureau may be acting out of interests other than its stated mission to combat corruption in Macau, questioning why an audit had not raised suspicions earlier and what the corruption “watchdog had been doing all this time.”
CCAC commissioner André Cheong said on Sunday that in addition to suspected bribery, the case currently under investigation includes offences of fraud, document forgery, abuse of power and the granting of “unlawful economic advantage”.
Cheong also stated that, as the investigation is still ongoing, the CCAC has not dismissed the possibility of uncovering further suspects in the case or additional instances of misconduct. Daniel Beitler
neto valente: influence peddling is the problem
The president of the Macau Lawyers Association, Neto Valente, commented on Ho Chio Meng’s arrest: “The problem that might take place at the Public Prosecutions Office is influence peddling. I mean that in the sense of holding back procedures, not letting a case move forward, or just handling some cases and not others. People connected to the judicial circuit know that this has taken place and frequently. I never saw anyone taking a stance on the issue. Let’s see now if with this case the issue will be raised or not. In my opinion it’s far more serious than some side-jobs and petty rewards. That I don’t think is the most relevant thing here,” Neto Valente told TDM.
No Comments