Family members of Ao Man-long and a woman who worked in the office of the former Macau minister rode on his coat-tails to rake in huge sums, according to prosecutors at the corruption trial yesterday.
Ao's brother, Ao Man-fu, and sister-in-law, Chan Va-choi, set up accounts at three British banks.
Under Ao Man-long's instruction, a total of GBP17 million (HK$275 million) was funnelled into the accounts between 2004 and 2005, the prosecution alleged. Some of the money was transferred from Hong Kong banks such as HSBC.
Ao Man-fu has been charged with 14 counts of money-laundering and his wife with six counts.
The prosecution also revealed a number of suspect accounts held by the defendant's father, Ao Veng-kong, who has been charged with eight counts of money-laundering.
Ao Man-long's wife, Chan Meng-ieng, moved to Britain before her husband's fall from grace. The former employee of the Government Information Bureau once managed a safe at the Bank of China Hong Kong containing at least HK$28 million, Macau's Court of Final Appeal heard.