The government is not satisfied with the decision reached by the Court of Second Instance (TSI) on a land plot located in Taipa, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, André Cheong acknowledged on the sidelines of the celebration of the 71st Anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Cheong said that the executive disagrees with the decision and has already submitted an appeal to the Court of Final Appeal (TUI) for two major reasons.
Firstly, back in 1918 when the expropriation of the land plot took place, the then-Portuguese government of Macau had already compensated the owners and had published the expropriation on the government official gazette. Considering that, from that moment on, the government had full ownership of the plot concerned.
Secondly, Cheong also said that the Macau government doubts the authenticity of a notarial document signed back in 1997 in Lisbon. This document was the centerpiece of the appeal from the owners of the land plot.
In the verdict reached late last month on the land located adjacent to Estrada Almirante Magalhães Correia, Estrada da Ponta da Cabrita, and Avenida Padre Tomás Pereira, the TSI decided that the government had to revert the undeveloped part of the land plot back to the company that is considered the current owner, and compensate the same company for the use of the plot by government departments, including the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), that deprived the owners of the use of the land. The compensation is approximately 100 million patacas.
Cheong apologizes for IAM mishaps
During the same opportunity and in response to media questions relating to several matters under the IAM supervision, Secretary Cheong apologized for some of the latest mishaps, including an accident at the hand-washing facilities within Hác-Sá Reservoir Country Park that injured a person.
Cheong said that IAM will submit a report to him, after thoroughly reviewing the safety of similar facilities across Macau.
The Secretary also noted that the preliminary findings on the incident at Hác-Sá Reservoir Country Park indicated deficiencies in construction quality, supervision, and approval mechanisms regarding construction.
In light of this, Cheong said that the government is considering taking further action on the case, including legal action, against the construction company.
On another topic, the Secretary said the IAM undertook a timely response in relation to copyright infringements of a Mid-Autumn Festival public lighting installation, as first reported by the Times.
The official said that IAM removed the installation as soon as suspicions arose and that in the future, the bureau would review such cases thoroughly to avoid repeating the same mistake.
“The government has paid great attention to the issue of copyright,” Cheong said, adding that to avoid similar issues arising in the future, the government will provide further opportunities for local designers to create decorative products.
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