Judiciary concerned about rising scams

The Courts and the public prosecutions office (MP) are increasingly concerned by the rise in scams in Macau in recent years.

The issue was raised as a major challenge by both the interim president of the Court of Final Appeal, Judge Song Man Lei, and the Public Prosecutor General, Ip Son Sang, during their speeches at the opening of the new judiciary year yesterday afternoon at the Macao Cultural Center.

Song described the various types of scams, particularly those carried out over the phone or the internet, as highly problematic, stressing their serious consequences for society.

“Taking the example of first judicial interrogations, statements for future memory, and the application of coercive measures, these three types of judicial processes within the Criminal Investigation Court registered an increase of 94.12% (from 85 to 165 cases), 77.46% (from 244 to 433 cases) and 65.38% (from 156 to 258 cases) respectively, compared to the previous judicial year. Scams ranked first in all three types,” she said.

She added, “Among them, telecommunication scams stand out – carried out by fraudsters pretending to be employees of the police, Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the courts, as well as ‘guess who I am’ phone scams that mainly target the elderly.”

Song noted these types of scams employ varied techniques, with each victim losing sums ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of patacas.

“Due to the cross-border nature of most telecommunications crimes, it becomes increasingly difficult to carry out a criminal investigation. It is often difficult to trace the origin of criminal associations to bring them to justice, with many victims losing their life savings. Therefore, it is essential to continue promoting awareness and prevention efforts,” she added.

Public Prosecutor General Ip Son Sang echoed these concerns, stating that despite several attempts to crack down on such crimes, fraud cases continue to proliferate. In the last judicial year, 2,979 fraud investigations were reported, an increase of more than 50% for the second consecutive judicial year compared to the same period in the previous judicial year. Fraud investigations now account for nearly one-fifth of the total number of charged investigations, making it the most common crime for the third consecutive year. He emphasized the need for society to strengthen both prevention and enforcement efforts.

The session opened with a speech from the Chief Executive (CE), Ho Iat Seng, who stressed the importance of improving the efficiency of the judiciary, combating judicial corruption, and maintaining high standards of judicial work.

Ho also noted the need to improve dispute resolution mechanisms, optimize the legal business environment, and provide more powerful judicial protection for economic and social development.

Ho said the judiciary is one area in which Macau has the potential to expand its international presence, and this should be pursued.

Citing president Xi Jinping, he also noted that “Reform and the rule of law are like the two wings of a bird or the two wheels of a cart,” emphasizing that reform must be pursued based on the rule of law. Similarly, improving the rule of law is also an important aspect of reform.

New blood in the judiciary was  well-needed

Summarizing the recent developments and work of the MP, the Public Prosecutor General noted that since 2017, the number of permanent magistrates has decreased from 41 to 34 due to retirements and dismissals, among other departure reasons.

The number of magistrates working in the criminal service as well as civil, labor, and minors courts has fallen from 17 and 6, to 12 and 5 respectively, contributing to increased workloads and pressure on the MP team.

He concluded by describing the recently appointed 18 new judges and eight new MP prosecutors as a welcome addition. He hoped these additions would uphold the concept of “justice serves the people,” and act with honesty, dedication and a sense of duty.