Two former directors of Macau's public works bureau have been sentenced today to 24 and 20 years behind bars respectively for bribe-taking, money laundering, organised crime and other serious crimes by the Court of First Instance (TJB), according to a statement by the office of the president of the Court of Final Appeal (TUI) tonight.
Former public works bureau director Li Canfeng was sentenced to 24 years' imprisonment. Li was remanded in pre-trial detention last year.
Former public works director Jaime Roberto Carion was sentenced in absentia to 20 years behind bars. Reportedly, Carion lives overseas.
Well-known local businessman Sio Tak Hong, who was remanded in custody last year, was sentenced to a jail term of 24 years for organised crime, bribery, money laundering, and document forgery.
Well-known local businessman Kuan Vai Lam, who was remanded in custody last year, was sentenced to a jail term of 18 years for organised crime, bribery and money laundering.
Well-known local businessman Ng Lap Seng was sentenced to a jail term of 15 years for organised crime and money laundering. Ng made international headlines in 2017 when the US District Court in New York City found him guilty of bribing UN officials over a UN-related project in Macau. He was released on compassionate grounds in March 2021, after which he returned to Macau. His son, businessman Ng Kei Nin, was sentenced to 8 years and six month for organised crime, money laundering and bribery. Father and son were taken from the courthouse to prison right after the sentencing.
According to the TUI statement, four of the 21 defendants were acquitted. The others were handed down prison terms ranging between 20 and 3 1/2 years.
The defendants have the right to appeal.
Macau's maximum jail term amounts to 30 years.
