Lai Man Wa (left) poses with other Macau top officials, including the CE
The city was shocked over the weekend by the alleged suicide of the director-general of the Customs Service, Lai Man Wa, who was found dead last Friday at a public toilet facility in Ocean Gardens.
The news was made public by the Chief Executive that evening in an impromptu press conference held four hours after the incident. Chui Sai On expressed his “great sorrow” at the death of Ms Lai and offered his condolences to family and relatives of the victim.
At the press conference held on Friday, the Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, revealed that at 3.30 p.m. the police answered a call from the public toilets located in Ocean Gardens, Taipa, saying that a body had been found there. He added that the investigations were still pending, but the first report from the Macau Forensic Medicine department ruled out homicide.
Mr Wong also said that he had been in close contact with Ms Lai until Thursday evening but did not notice anything about her behavior that suggested anything untoward. He also pointed out that they had even arranged a meeting in Zhuhai for Friday afternoon to discuss with local authorities issues regarding “water and illegal immigration.”
Security and cleaning staff at Ocean Gardens told the Times later on Friday they were “alerted by the police in the afternoon,” and that they saw “a pool of blood” near a public toilet surrounded by policemen.
Late Saturday, the Judiciary Police (PJ) released a detailed account of the crime scene and of post-mortem investigations, which confirmed the initial reports pointing to suicide.
According to the PJ, the late customs chief may have used drugs, a razor blade and a plastic bag to put an end to her life.
PJ confirmed she was found dead in a public toilet by cleaning staff surrounded by blood, although experts “can’t say it was a great amount of blood.” Her head was covered with a plastic bag and she was carrying hypnotic drugs and a bloody razor blade in her handbag when her body was found with slashes to her wrists and neck.
Moreover, the report revealed there were “no signs of struggle” and that her “dress was immaculate.”
A post mortem examination conducted at 1 p.m. on Saturday indicates, “she died from suffocation.” No conspicuous evidence of her probable intention was found at the crime scene. The police have ruled out homicide, saying, “until now, there is no evidence at all which could lead to homicide,” but investigations are pending.
Ms Lai was appointed customs chief in December last year when the CE made an unprecedented reshuffle within the government. This was done in a bid to meet challenges laid down by President Xi Jinping to clean up the gaming industry and to diversify the region’s economy.
Xi called on the Macau government to find “greater courage and wisdom” to “strengthen and improve regulation and supervision over the gaming industry” after a number of senior mainland officials had urged the territory to diversify its economy, of which the maritime plan is a key factor.
The calls intensified pressure on Chui’s new cabinet to come up with concrete plans to reshape an economic model on which it had become too dependent.
Lai’s death also came just days after Macau’s top gaming regulator stepped down after 18 years in charge. This comes as the industry suffers its worst crisis in decades and two weeks after a staff member from the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) jumped to their death from the Dynasty Plaza building.
During Friday’s press conference, authorities stressed that Ms Lai “was not being investigated for alleged corruption.”
ce, wong meet customs officials
A meeting with Customs Service top officials was held on Saturday, with the presence of the Chief Executive and the Secretary for Security pinpointing the fight against illegal immigration as the objectives of the emergency measures. In a statement from his office, Mr Wong said the meeting was also intended to “help to improve the emotional condition of the personnel.”
A day earlier, Chui Sai On had reported the case to the central government, according to existing protocols. He added that the Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, has been temporarily assigned to assume the position of acting director-general of the Customs Service. The CE will, in due time, nominate a new director-general, whose appointment will have to be ratified by the central government.
Lai Man Wa
A career in the security forces
Lai Man Wa, 56, was born in January 1959 in Macau, although her family are natives of Bao’an, Guangdong (now Shenzhen). Lai obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Police Science from the Academy of Public Security Forces and held a Masters of Law in Public Administration from Sun Yat-sen University.
She was appointed director-general of the Customs Service less than a year ago. Previously she had been deputy-director of the same service. She was also serving as president of the Macao Alumni of the Sun Yat-sen University’s School of Government, and as an advisor to the Women’s General Association of Macau.
Since joining the Security Forces, back in 1984, Lai had been mainly engaged in the area of intelligence and investigation, including organizing the criminal proceedings dossier.
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