Crime | More victims of investment scam, amount rises to HKD219m

Company Number 81 developed the area around Rua dos Ervanarios

The number of reported victims in the case of real estate agency owner Isabel Chiang has risen to 48, the Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson said yesterday during a press conference.

According to the PJ,  the total number of victims in the fraud case as reported yesterday by the Times is now 18 more than last week, and the total amount of money lost is HKD219 million.

Although the PJ did not disclose many details about the case, saying that the process is still under investigation, the spokesperson acknowledged to the Times that, for the time being, Chiang is the only suspect under investigation.

The PJ also refused to comment on whether or not the authorities knew if the suspect had left the region.

The businessman and former lawmaker Chan Meng Kam is among the victims, having reported a loss of HKD96 million.

Several staff members of the real estate agency led by Chiang are also reportedly among the victims. Through company Number 81, Chiang invested over MOP100 million to develop the area around Rua dos Ervanarios since 2015, buying shops there and offering tenants free rent and other benefits if they joined the investment project.

In an unrelated case, the PJ acknowledged the detention of a suspect in another fraud case regarding currency exchange during September last year.

The suspect of this case was caught on Jan. 20 while trying to reenter Macau at the border gate checkpoint.

According to the police, at the time, the suspect offered to exchange HKD to RMB to a casino player in a Cotai casino.

After accepting the deal, the two entered one of the casino restrooms to perform the trade. The victim handed HKD 98,000 to the suspect, expecting to receive RMB 86,730 in exchange. The suspect promised to transfer the money to the victim’s account via bank-to-bank transfer.

Instead, the suspect took an opportunity of distraction to run away and become unreachable on his phone, leading the victim to file a complaint.

After being intercepted by the police and taken for questioning, the suspect denied the crime, but the PJ says that there is enough evidence to prove his guilt. The case has been forwarded to the Public Prosecutions Office under the charge of fraud.

No updates on MDT staffer accident, case under investigation

According to the Public Security Police Force (PSP), there are currently no further updates on the traffic accident that killed the Macau Daily Times staffer, Lam Kun San. However, the PSP noted that the case is still under investigation. Lam passed away when the motorcycle she was riding was involved in an unexplained traffic accident with a taxi at Amizade Bridge in the early hours of Friday when she was on duty. Police information on the case only confirms that she died due to multiple fractures, after her body was dragged under the taxi.