Crime | Four charged with covering up arson suspect

Four people have been charged with absolving an illegal worker from criminal liability in an arson case, the Judiciary Police (PJ) reported yesterday during a press conference.

Three of the accused are local residents: a 38-year-old contractor and self-proclaimed Macau businessman surnamed Lei; a 34-year-old local renovation worker surnamed Lam; and a 31-year- old local renovation worker surnamed Lei. The fourth is a 46-year-old unemployed man and mainland resident surnamed Lin.

On the night of October 30, the police received a report from the Fire Services Bureau (CB) about a fire at a facility under renovation at Taipa Ocean Garden. The report indicated that the fire might have been caused by the renovation workers.

According to the PJ, on October 31, the 38-year-old contractor Lei brought two workers to the PJ, who admitted their liability for the fire accident.

One of the workers, 31-year-
old Lei, told the police that he had discarded a cigarette butt and triggered the fire alarm. His fellow worker, Lam, claimed to have witnessed Lei’s actions.

However, during its investigation, the PJ found out that neither worker was in Macau when the accident occurred. The contractor later admitted to the police that he had found these two local residents through an intermediary – the mainlander, Lin – to cover up for the real perpetrator.

On November 1, the PJ found Lin, who admitted to his involvement.

The PJ believes that the actual suspect is likely to be an illegal worker, which could be the reason behind the stories fabricated by the four men. The two workers did not reveal the payment for the cover-up. The real perpetrator is still at large.

Losses caused by the fire were not calculated as of press time. However, a PJ spokesperson indicated a small loss, since only a few papers were burnt.

Data from the CB for the first quarter of 2018 shows that 18 fire alarms were triggered by cigarette butts.

Money exchange gang on the run after robbery attempt

A mainland man has been injured by a gang who tried to rob him of HKD1.8 million cash, according to the PJ.  On November 3, the victim and a mainland woman won HKD1.8 million from a casino in Taipa. The two, intending to send the money (in RMB) back to mainland China, planned to exchange the cash with a money exchange gang. When the gang and the victim met in the victim’s hotel room, a gang member attempted to take the funds by force. While the robbery attempt was ultimately unsuccessful, the victim sustained minor injuries.

Mother accused of assaulting son

A 37-year-old local mother has been transferred to the prosecution authorities for assaulting her four-
year-old son, the PJ reported during the same press conference.

The suspect and the victim live in the government’s affordable housing project flat in Coloane.

On November 2, the boy was found with several bruises on his body. The mother told the police she had beaten him because he had played with fire at home and burnt the sofa.

The police investigation showed that some of the boy’s bruises were likely to have been sustained while he played with the fire.

According to police records, the mother had previously beaten her children in 2017 as well. The beatings were triggered by her children playing with fire at home and by neighbors complaining about the children’s behavior.