Macau (MNA) – Rita Botelho dos Santos told Macau News Agency (MNA) that she will file a complaint with the Macau police this week against two Hong Kong companies promoting cryptocurrency services, which she claims she fell victim to.
Speaking to MNA, Ms. Santos said that she had already filed a complaint in Hong Kong against the investor behind the e-sports and cryptocurrency mining company from the same city, that had promoted the investment scheme to some 70 people in Macau who claimed they had been purportedly stripped of some HK$20 million (US$2.5 million).
According to a statement released on July 18 on the Facebook page of Frederico Alexandre dos Santos Rosario, Ms. Santos’ son, who also participated in the scheme, the companies involved are Genesis Hong Kong Limited and a partnership business, Forger Tech.
Genesis’ controlling shareholders are Dennis Lau Tin Chun and Hong Kit Lau, who also co-own Forger.
In January, Forger held a seminar in the headquarters of the Macau Civil Servants Association (ATFPM) in co-operation with a local e-sports association, Grow uP eSports.
In the July statement, Mr. Rosario noted that the 70 people in Macau had signed up to some 142 participation contracts with both companies between January and June 2018.
The participants have only managed to recover contributions amounting to some HK$6.35 million, with the companies having defaulted payment obligations since June 18.
According to the statement, the companies have claimed the default resulted from a ‘court order or police directive restraining movement of the funds in the [company’s] bank accounts,’ although Mr. Rosario stated he had not been provided with any evidence to support this.
Lau has another version of the story, claiming that he was rather the victim on the case, according to a recent report on Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily.
In addition to pointing out that Mr. Rosario is one of the shareholders of the company, Mr. Lau said that the former had revised the content of contracts without his consent, changing the return amount originally established of 25 per cent per year to 25 per cent per month.
Lau had also filed a case against Mr. Rosario at the Kwun Tong Police Station.
As of July 18, some 14 Macau participants in the scheme had reported the matter to the Hong Kong Police Force, including Ms. Santos, who also holds the position of President of the Regional Council of Portuguese Communities in Asia and Oceania.
Ms. Santos said that she is cooperating in the investigation with police authorities in Hong Kong “at their request, to ascertain the responsibilities of the company and the people who have caused us these losses.”
“I will report any defamation committed against myself to the judiciary police,” she added. “I repeat that I am also harmed, and that the lawsuit is under justice secrecy and I must let the authorities work.”
[Updates add information about Mr. Lau’s position and version of the story on 9th, 10th and 11th paragraphs]
*With Cecilia U
