Jack Black

  Secretary Wong hopes “the public does not read much” into the bust and arrest of top SJM executive Alan Ho, a bastion of ailing Uncle Stanley’s empire, along with 5 others suspected of managing a prostitution ring generating over MOP400 million in ill-gotten gains. But it is hard not to look at the arrest of nephew Ho and not to see the times are changing. Like Business Insider put it yesterday: an eminent name doesn’t concede impunity in Macau any longer. In other words, “equality before the law,” proclaimed Wong Sio Chak, the former head of PJ which was involved in the investigation leading to the bust. It’s hard to look at this case and not see a reflection of what’s happening on the mainland with the “tigers & flies” anti-corruption drive…

The Public Security Police (PSP) is issuing more tickets to law-violating taxi drivers. According to figures revealed by the authorities, 352 cases of taxi irregularities were prosecuted in only the first seven days of 2015. Many taxi drivers are alarmed and ask for leniency they didn’t show themselves when scheming passengers. They threaten to protest and block the roads, forcing traffic to a standstill. This is the time for law enforcers to show that they are not scared of low level tactics and really want to enforce the law and eradicate behaviour that is causing major inconveniences to residents and tourists alike. If that›s the case, hands up for the new PSP Commissioner Leong Man Cheong.
Alan Ho was awarded the Medal of Merit in Tourism– state recognition – by Chui Sai On not long ago, in 2011. Now he is behind bars in pre-trial detention waiting trial for his alleged involvement in a case of human trafficking, forced prostitution and pimping. It doesn’t look good for him. But for the time being, Mr Ho, the nephew, is presumed innocent. It is up to the prosecutors to mount a case strong enough to prove otherwise. Because even if Alan Ho is a paragon of “old-school” kind of sleazy Macau, the presumption of innocence is “the” cornerstone of the rule of law. And the latter “old-school,” that, we must preserve.