Officer fined MOP35,000 for animal cruelty

Choi U Fai

The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) has fined a Judiciary Police officer MOP35,000 for mistreating a dog in amateur video footage that surfaced online in mid-January this year.

The bureau’s Chief of Veterinary Inspection and Control, Choi U Fai, was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a public evaluation of the first-year results of the Animal Protection Law, which entered into force in September 2016.

The officer was subject to disciplinary proceedings following the case, which culminated in being charged with the administrative offense of animal cruelty, punishable with fines of between 20,000 and 100,000 patacas.

IACM said the accused “was notified and immediately paid the fine. He filed no appeal of defense.”

The circulation of the video on several social media platforms previously made several headlines, with Anima president Albano Martins being prosecuted for breaching personal data protection laws by sharing the footage online.

According to Choi, this is the first of two cases that have been identified and investigated by the authorities since the Animal Protection Law was implemented.

The latter case concerns another officer who is reportedly also under investigation for possible disciplinary infractions under the Security Forces regulations, according to Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak.

“All criminal investigation officers must, first and foremost, give priority to their personal conduct and ethics,” said Wong, adding that “it is the duty” of police officers to ensure their behavior is beyond reproach. RM