Batch of Ao’s luxury goods auctioned

Ao Man Long

A batch of luxury goods, confiscated from the former Secretary for Transport and Public Works Ao Man Long, was auctioned last month by the Financial Services Bureau (DSF). Radio Macau reported yesterday that the administration has earned MOP640,000 from the auction to date.

Many of the auctioned items were not purchased, including the bulk of Ao’s collection of rare wines and spirits, which had been previously estimated to be worth MOP3.8 million. 

The asking price for the auctioned items was MOP2.8 million, well below the value of sold items. The item which gathered the most interest was a rare medicinal plant known as yartsa gunbu, 4.2 kilograms of which were put up for sale with an asking price of MOP138,000. The winning bid reached MOP400,000.

In December 2006, Ao was arrested on suspicion of various crimes, including bribery and money laundering. In January 2008, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison for 57 counts of bribery, money laundering and abuse of power, among other charges.

In April 2009, he was charged with an additional 24 counts of taking bribes, money laundering activities and abuse of power, and was sentenced to one year and six months in prison.

In May 2012, the Court of Final Appeal held a third public hearing on Ao’s corruption case, where it ruled that he had committed six crimes of bribery and three crimes of money laundering. Combining the first two stages of his trial and respective sentences, Ao is serving a total of 28 and a half years in prison.