Covert Macau vice probe forced into open by jealousy
Kelly Wang was jealous of Alan Ho, and the possibility of her fleeing the region sparked the January 10 operation, court told
A major covert anti-vice operation that led to the arrest of a Macau hotel executive from one of the city’s most famous families was forced to go overt after a police wiretap recorded one of the main targets in a jealous rage over a prostitute, a court heard.
Detectives feared months of hush-hush investigation into an alleged prostitution ring in the Hotel Lisboa might be wasted when the jealous female target was heard saying she might quit her job and leave town.
The Court of First Instance in Macau heard that the subject of the wiretap was Kelly Wang, a former deputy manager of the hotel, who along with six others – including Alan Ho, the nephew of casino kingpin Stanley Ho Hung-sun – are accused of running a highly lucrative vice ring in the hotel.
Alan Ho denied the charges.
At the third trial hearing last week, the court was told that the racket was busted on January 10 this year, because police were concerned that Wang would flee Macau, public broadcaster Radio Macau reported.
According to the police inspector in charge of the investigation, the wiretap recorded Wang as saying that she was considering leaving her job.