The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a Public Security Police (PSP) officer on Thursday for allegedly cheating a friend out of HK$500,000 by persuading him to join a bogus investment scheme in 2017, PJ spokesman Ho Chan Nam said on Friday.
According to Friday’s special press conference, the 36-year-old suspect, surnamed Ao Ieong, joined the force in 2013.
Ho said that the Judiciary Police received a report from the victim about the case at the end of last year, saying that the fraud took place between August and September 2017, when Ao Ieong claimed that a tutorial centre on Rua da Praia do Manduco had launched an investment scheme in which he could own one-third of the shares with an investment of HK$500,000, and receive a quarterly bonus of HK$200,000.
Ho added the victim was then persuaded by Ao Ieong to hand over a total of HK$500,000 to participate in the scheme in various instalments. However, he never received any documents pertaining to the shares nor any dividends from the centre. The victim also told the police that he had been trying to recover the investment from Ao Ieong since September 2018 who later told him that the centre had been ordered to shut down due to the suspected fraudulent use of government subsidies, with its licensee having been detained.
A PJ investigation showed, according to Ho, that the suspect immediately withdrew HK$100,000 in cash after receiving the HK$500,000 from the victim, and also spent HK$300,000 on a car, while the owner of the tutorial centre told the police that he or she knew neither the victim nor the suspect, and had never launched any investment or shareholding scheme.
Ho did not reveal the gender of the owner of the centre.
Ho said that the Judiciary Police summoned Ao Ieong to the PJ headquarters in Zape for questioning, during which he insisted that he had merely assisted the victim in acquiring shares in the centre, denying that he had defrauded the victim.
The Judiciary Police transferred Ao Ieong to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Friday, facing a charge of fraud involving a considerably large amount of money.
PSP initiate disciplinary proceedings against their officer
Moreover, the Public Security Police released a statement right after the press conference was held on Friday morning, noting that disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Ao Ieong, underlining that the force was “highly” concerned about the incident and that they would be cooperating with the Judiciary Police in their investigation.
In the statement, the Public Security Police reaffirmed that there have always been stringent requirements concerning the disciplinary conduct of police officers, adding that all breaches of the law and discipline would be dealt with in a serious manner without any leniency.
‘Any unlawful or disciplinary acts will never be tolerated’: Wong
Speaking to the media on Friday after addressing a graduation ceremony at the Macau Security Forces Academy in Coloane, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak insisted that he would never tolerate any unlawful or disciplinary acts committed by members of the disciplined services, adding that he would deal with them in a serious manner. He also said that any breach of law or discipline would never be tolerated, and that apart from criminal liability, disciplinary actions would also be taken against officers violating the law.
Meanwhile, 122 trainees graduated on Friday from their eight-month course, 88 were males and 34 females. All will be become PSP officers, according to information released during the ceremony.
This undated handout photo provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) during Friday’s special press conference shows the car that the suspect bought with part of the money defrauded from his friend.
