Ao link to relative of Macau chief
A company owned by a relative of Macau's chief executive, Edmund Ho Hau-wah, has been implicated in the Ao Man-long corruption scandal.
Macau graft-busters transferred 12 bribery suspects to the Public Prosecutions Office yesterday, alleging that, along with a female suspect on the run, they had provided kickbacks to Ao, the former public works minister, on 21 projects.
Two suspects have been arrested in relation to three public-works projects by Shun Heng Construction, a company owned by Chan Lin-ian - brother-in-law of Mr Ho's brother.
Macau's Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) said a businessman surnamed Chan had been arrested for allegedly providing kickbacks over the Tap Seac Square renovation project, the Sir Robert Ho Tung School multi-sports-complex project, and the Vasco da Gama Garden underground-parking project from 2003 to 2006.
It is unclear whether this Chan is Chan Lin-ian, as the CCAC did not give full names of the 13 suspects, but past issues of the Government Gazette show that Shun Heng Construction undertook all three projects.
A government source said Chan Lin-ian's brother, Chan Lin-heng, worked in the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau and that Shun Heng Construction was granted a large number of public-works projects near the company's 'home turf', the Guia Hill area. The Government Gazette issues show that Mr Ho ultimately approved the projects.
The Tap Seac Square renovation project alone, which cost 150 million patacas, involved bribes of HK$7.6 million, according to the CCAC.
Another businessman, surnamed Lam, was arrested along with Chan and graft-busters said the pair were responsible for kickbacks worth HK$23 million on seven projects.
Others have been arrested over public-works projects, land sales and swaps, and projects of commercial and residential buildings.
Ao was sentenced to 27 years' jail by the Court of Final Appeal in January on 57 counts of bribe-taking, money-laundering, abuse of power and other charges. Graft-busters said he had more than HK$800 million in illegal income, but the trial only accounted for part of this.
The public has been calling on the CCAC to investigate further and get to the bottom of the graft scandal.
Key recommendations
Make national education policy target-specific, with priority given to building sense of national identity among teachers, youth workers, media workers and civil servants
Set up national education committee and national education fund
Broadcast free CCTV programmes in Hong Kong
Employ PR firms to help organise promotional activities and produce films related to national affairs to broadcast locally
Provide transport subsidies to encourage visits by people who have never been to mainland
Bid to host more national sports events in Hong Kong
