Suicide suspected as Macau's first female customs chief found dead in public toilet
Lai was due to attend security meeting in nearby Zhuhai; incident comes two weeks after member of Macau's Commission Against Corruption takes own life
The body of Macau's first woman customs chief was found slumped in a public toilet yesterday afternoon - just hours before she was due to attend a security meeting in Zhuhai .
Police discovered Lai Man Wa, who was appointed director-general of Macau Customs in December, after they rushed to the public toilet in Ocean Gardens on Taipa Island following a phone call shortly after 3.30pm.
The cause of death had not been confirmed but initial investigations suggested she had committed suicide.
Married with two children, Lai, 56, was promoted as part of a major cabinet reshuffle by the city's Chief Executive Dr Fernando Chui Sai-on 10 months ago.
Her death shocked the city and prompted Chui to call a media briefing to express his condolences and to state that Lai had not been the subject of a probe by anti-corruption investigators in the gambling enclave.
Chui said he felt deeply saddened by Lai's death and had sent his deepest condolences to her family.
"I feel sorrowful and shocked, as Lai and I had been friends for so many years," he said.