Macau's La Scala corruption trial postponed until 2013
La Scala trial to start in January, with reams of documents and dozens of witnesses expected
More than 70 witnesses will be summoned for the bribery trial of Hong Kong tycoons Steven Lo Kit-sing and Joseph Lau Luen-hung, lawyers say. And it will consider thousands of pages of legal notes. But proceedings won't get under way until next year, following an adjournment yesterday.
Soccer boss Lo and Lau, chairman of developer Chinese Estates, are accused of offering a HK$20 million bribe to Macau's disgraced former public works chief Ao Man-long in 2006 to secure a deal for five plots of land for the luxury La Scala residential development. They also face money laundering charges.
Macau's government declared the land sales invalid in June. Ao was jailed for 29 years in May for corruption offences.
The case was due to be heard in Macau's Court of First Instance yesterday, but was adjourned until January 7 due to Judge Alice Costa falling ill.
Lo's counsel, Jorge Neto Valente, said outside court that the case would involve 75 volumes of legal documents, with the main 10 volumes alone running to more than 5,000 pages.
"I think the case has among the highest number of witnesses and the most documents of any in recent years," he said.
