Top immigration official jumps to his death
An assistant director of the Immigration Department took his own life yesterday. Lai Chun-ting is believed to be the most senior civil servant to commit suicide in Hong Kong.
The 46-year-old did not leave a note but a police investigator believed he had been under pressure at work. Lau, who had just started two weeks' sick leave, jumped to his death from his 10th-floor flat.
His wife called police at about 4.30pm after she spotted her husband lying on the first-floor podium of the building in Mount Davis Road, Pokfulam. He was taken to Queen Mary Hospital in a coma but died soon after arrival.
Lai - one of six assistant directors - was in charge of the Enforcement and Liaison Branch, and his duties included dealing with illegal immigrants.
Lai joined the department in 1978 and had been planning to migrate to Canada with his wife and two daughters before the handover. But he had been persuaded to stay on by Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee - the Secretary for Security, who was then director of immigration.
Last night Mrs Ip, Joseph Wong Wing-ping, the Secretary for Civil Service, and Director of Immigration Lai Tung-kwok expressed their condolences.
