Alan Ho expected to spend CNY in prison

The Public Prosecutions Office (MP) has finished its preliminary investigation into a case involving a large prostitution syndicate alleged to be operating in Hotel Lisboa for over a year.
The decision was made to remand six suspects in custody. Among these suspects is Alan Ho, nephew of SJM Holdings chairman Stanley Ho. He is expected to spend the Chinese New Year in Coloane prison, awaiting trial.
Alan Ho is among the 102 people detained by the Judiciary Police on Saturday during an operation. The MP noted that, among them, more than 90 people were witnesses and 7 were suspects. After examining the evidence, the responsible prosecutor has decided to advise the judge to hold six of the suspects behind bars, with this decision going ahead. The MP said it will continue to investigate the case.
The Times tried to contact SJM for comment, but did not receive any response.
Born in 1947, Alan Ho completed a business administration degree in the United States in the early 1970s and taught at the Hong Kong Chinese University from 1979 to 1985. He then pursued a PhD degree at Harvard University and worked at a law firm, before officially joining the Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau (STDM) in 1991.
Ho was the administrative director and manager of Hotel Lisboa. He was involved in the management of several hotels in Macau, as well as that of SJM. Some media reports have called him “the defender of the Lisboa empire”.
Ho has served as president of the Association of Macau Tourist Agents and, in 2011, was granted the Medal of Merit in Tourism by the Macau government. He is also famous for his love and appreciation of wines.
An article, published on Business Insider, titled “It Doesn’t Matter Who’s Your Daddy in Macau Anymore” analyzes the symbolism of Alan Ho’s detainment, and said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has decided to fight corruption in China – including the MSAR – even if it drastically transforms Macau’s social and economic structures.
The article said that there is a “new regime” in Macau where people previously perceived as being able to conduct illegal activity without fear of prosecution are now vulnerable to possible police action. It also named the former junket operator Paul Phua, who was also alleged to have ties with the Triad, as another example, arguing that his arrest in Macau last year proves the situation has changed.
Moreover, the article suggested that high rollers in Macau will not be as “flashy” as they once were because of the fear that they will fall victim to the anti-corruption wave. Therefore, it said, Macau – like Las Vegas in the 1970s and 80s when gang members were forced out of the city by law enforcement –
needs to look quickly for a clean source of revenue. JPL