Ho stands ground denying accusations

The region’s former prosecutor general, Ho Chio Meng, continued to deny allegations of nepotism during his term at the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), in the latest session of his ongoing trial yesterday.

Ho was accused during yesterday’s session of setting up a family-run syndicate of shelf companies to benefit from government concessions. The prosecution in the case say the syndicate benefited to the tune of some MOP10 million while he was serving in the post.

Prosecutors argued that 10 companies allegedly run by Ho amounted some MOP10 million through the concessions and a further MOP6 million by further outsourcing the services to other companies, between 2006 and 2014.

Many of the contracts were signed by an official identified as “Tang”, who Ho initially refused to recognize. Later during the session, the former prosecutor admitted that Tang is his cousin-in-law.

According to public broadcaster TDM, Judge Sam Hou Fai yesterday expressed the opinion that the suspect may have used his influence to secure contracts worth as little as MOP300. In order to do this, the judge suspects that Ho may have established companies and a syndicate network to gain the concessions.

To the contrary, Ho pointed out that it would be unrealistic for someone familiar with the law to set up companies for the purpose of winning contracts of such low value.

The defendant denied all of the allegations presented against him during the session, maintaining that he had no role in any syndicate and was not guilty of corruption or fraud.

The trial will resume on January 4.