Pressure at work was probably behind the suicide on Monday of a senior customs officer, as well as financial and relationship problems mentioned in his suicide note, a union chief said yesterday.
Despite being close to retirement, Chung Cheen-yeung, 53, was given the high-pressure job of overseeing investigations into illicit cigarettes and drugs, said Alfred Poon Cheuk-kwong, chairman of the Association of Customs and Excise Service Officers. It was tough work and the suicide highlighted the manpower difficulties the department was facing, Mr Poon said.
'For someone near retirement to do such burdensome work where officers face great pressure shows there is a lack of officers coming up through the system.
'Even though the government had approved the recruitment of officers by ending the recent recruitment freeze, those recently hired are not ready yet.'
Chung, who was due to start pre-retirement leave next June, apparently committed suicide with his service pistol. The senior inspector's body was found in his office on the fifth floor of the Sheung Shui Government Offices in Pik Fung Road about 5.30pm with a gunshot wound to the head.
The union is trying to contact his family to offer help.