Judiciary Police (PJ) spokeswoman Lei Hon Nei said during a regular press conference on Friday that a mainland businessman set a hotel room on fire as “catharsis” after hitting a losing streak playing the tables.
According to Lei, the 59-year-old businessman had lost a total of 20-million-yuan gambling in Macau since 2012. Lei noted that recently he came to Macau and gambled and lost again, adding that he set the hotel room on fire on Thursday because he was “unhappy”, he also planned to stab a foreigner with a fruit knife as revenge for his gambling losses.
Lei pointed out that, however, the man did not pursue the stabbing attempt but instead approached a policeman to tell him, still holding his fruit knife, that he had set fire to his guestroom. Lei underlined that the blaze cost the hotel 1.34 million patacas in repairs.
Lei said the case was transferred from the Public Security Police (PSP) to the PJ, stressing that during the investigation the police discovered that his recent losing streak had cost him an additional 165,000 yuan. Lei pointed out that the man was drunk when the he committed the arson, adding that, at that moment, he believed that the reason for his losses was caused by foreign-invested gaming companies and foreigners.
Therefore, Lei added, he burnt his clothes and a piece of paper, then left the burning room while holding the knife in attempt to find and injure a foreigner. Lei underlined that the businessman regretted setting the room on fire and tried to ask a hotel worker for help but failed due to the language barrier.
Lei said that the businessman faces arson and use of a prohibited weapon charges, adding that the case has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for follow up.
