Corruption watchdog finds no irregularities over ‘Leather Factory’ land plot

The Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) has found no illegalities in connection with the land plot at Rua dos Pescadores where buildings no. 15 and 17 (commonly known as the Leather Factory) were located.

Regarding the acceptance by the administration of the maintained status of the already-constructed building on the grounds that it should not be subject to the declaration of invalidation arising from former Secretary for Transport and Public Works Ao Man Long’s corruption case, and the fact that the land use period was approved to be extended in and after 2018, the CCAC believes that they, to a certain extent, “met the principle of useful and effective use of land and there were no apparent administrative illegalities or irregularities.”

The street alignment plan, on which the construction of the relevant building was based, was issued four years before the entry into force of the Law of Urban Planning, and there was therefore no situations of false starts or circumvention of the law as such.

According to the CCAC, “public works departments are suggested to seriously review the relevant practice and step-up efforts to consolidate the premium regime in force so that the actual market value of the land of Macau may be reflected [in] the premiums and the precious land resources of the Macau SAR may be fully protected.”

According to the letters sent to the CCAC by different associations in 2018, the matters queried included the non-declaration of expiry of the concession despite the expiry of the land use period of the land plot at the Leather Factory, the premium calculation for the land plot for repurposing and the circumvention of the Law of Urban Planning. In response, the CCAC specifically formed an “inquiry group” to follow up the case. Staff reporter