A female civil servant covered up her husband’s drunk driving that resulted in two crashes, Public Security Police (PSP) spokeswoman Lai In Hong said at a regular press conference yesterday.
The couple, who are in their thirties, comprise a civil servant surnamed Wai and her Brazilian husband surnamed António who works as a hotel employee.
According to Lai, a restaurant worker reported to the Public Security Police on Thursday that a car accident occurred at about 2 a.m. outside the eatery in Rua Correia da Silva in Taipa. The worker told the police that he heard a loud noise outside the restaurant and discovered that a car had crashed into another car parked there. The driver sped away immediately after the crash, hitting a kerb. The worker wrote down the car licence number and reported the case to the police. Soon afterwards, the Public Security Police were notified about another traffic accident in Estrada de Cheoc Van in Coloane where a car had caught fire after crashing into the hillside. Firefighters rushed to the scene and quickly extinguished the blaze.
When PSP officers later arrived at the scene to investigate, a woman told the police that she was the driver. The police conducted a breathalyser test with the test showing that the woman’s alcohol concentration was zero grammes of alcohol per litre of blood. However, the officers noticed that her husband reeked of alcohol and told him to take a breathalyser test which he refused. Lai pointed out that Wai was not at the scene when the firefighters arrived. Under repeated questioning, António finally admitted that he was the driver. He told the police that he had a meal and a few drinks on Wednesday night in Taipa.
He claimed that he was unable to remember anything when he driving home after dinner. After crashing into the hillside his car burst into flames, he said. So, he called his wife to come to the scene to cover up for him, after which he reported the case to the police. PSP officers later also confirmed that António was the driver who crashed his car into another car outside the restaurant in Rua Correia da Silva, Lai said.
The duo have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP). Wai faces a charge of aiding and abetting the perpetration of an offence while António faces charges of evading responsibility and disobeying a police order, according to Lai.
Public Security Police (PSP) spokeswoman looks on during yesterday’s press conference at the PSP press room. Photo: Camy Tam
