Prosecutors request to include additional facts

Prosecutors in the bribery case against former Prosecutor-general Ho Chio Meng requested last Friday to add Ho’s purchase of a home unit in Villa De Mer and other related information, to the case’s indictment as factual information.
According to Chinese newspaper Macao Daily, the information will include the fact that Or Wai Sheun – the boss of Villa de Mer developer Polytec Asset Holdings Ltd – had offered a 25 per cent discount to Mak Im Tai, a co-defendant in the case, to purchase the housing unit, with the purchase contract later being transferred to the name of Mr. Ho’s spouse, Chao Siu Fu.
Mr. Or allegedly instructed his subordinates to issue four receipts under the name of Ho’s wife – Chao Siu Fu – amounting to MOP1.98 million (US$247,370). While the payments were never made by the couple, Mr. Or, instead, ordered his subordinate to pay the amount via his other company, Hongs Trading Ltd., witnesses testified to at the hearing last Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Pro-Rector of the University of Saint Joseph, Vincent Yang took the stand last Friday. He testified that he had seen the name of Wang Xiandi – another defendant in the case and the alleged consultant of the Prosecutor’s Office (MP) – on the name list of an event in 2005.
However, in response to Presiding Judge Justice Sam Hou Fai’s enquiry, Mr. Yang said he had never seen Wang at the MP before, despite being familiar with many of the MP staff.
Meanwhile, the defense lawyer pointed out last Friday that part of the MP contracts awarded to the alleged shell companies in the case, had not been approved by the former prosecutor-general.
A witness from the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) admitted that contract documents do not necessarily prove the ex-official was the one granting MP projects to the involved shell companies.
However, the prosecutors did present a contract with one of the alleged shell companies in the case approved by Mr. Ho.