The Public Security Police (PSP) announced yesterday that the Nepali who was slashed by his compatriot with a knife on Wednesday evening has told the police that he was attacked after refusing to lend the culprit another 2,000 patacas, after the victim had lent the suspect 4,000 patacas last year, which he had never repaid.
During yesterday’s regular press conference, PSP spokesman Cheong Heon Fan announced full details of the knife attack case, which occurred on the street near Nam San Garden and Hipódromo Garden in Taipa shortly before 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Some details on the case were announced in a PSP statement on Wednesday night, according to which the suspect told the police that he had attacked the victim after failing to collect a debt from him.
During yesterday’s press conference, Cheong revealed more details about what the attacker told the police, as well as what the victim told the police after receiving hospital treatment.
According to Cheong, after an investigation the police now assume that the attacker was lying, i.e., it was he who owed the victim money, not – as he had claimed – the other way round.
Both the attacker and victim are non-resident workers, who are in their thirties and forties.
Cheong said that the suspect, who works as an “assistant” in an integrated resort, is a colleague of the victim.
Two opposite accounts
Cheong said that the suspect turned himself in at a police station in Taipa around seven minutes after the attack. According to Cheong, the suspect falsely told the police that he was a cousin of the victim, who had borrowed HK$50,000 from him last year but had refused to repay it, because of which, the suspect falsely claimed, he again asked the victim to repay the debt on Wednesday evening.
The suspect falsely told the police that after failing to collect the debt, he got angry and attacked the victim with a knife, according to Cheong, who said that the attacker fled the scene and dumped the knife nearby.
After the attack, PSP officers retrieved the knife, which is 22 centimetres long, with its blade spanning 9.5 centimetres, Cheong said.
After he was attacked, the victim was rushed to the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre on the peninsula for emergency treatment.
Cheong said yesterday that after receiving treatment, the victim told the police at the hospital that he is not related to the attacker, who is merely his co-worker. The victim told the police that he lent the suspect 4,000 patacas last year, but had not repaid him any of the money, adding that the suspect asked him to lend him another 2,000 patacas on Wednesday evening.
According to Cheong, the victim told the police that he was then attacked by his compatriot after refusing to lend him any more money.
The victim gave his smartphone to the police so that they could check his text messages from the attacker, which confirmed what the victim had said to the police, leading the police to conclude that it was the attacker who was lying, according to Cheong, who said the evidence showed that “it was the suspect who actually owed money”.
Cheong also said that the victim sustained knife wounds to his forehead, chest, left elbow and right forefinger.
Cheong also said during yesterday afternoon’s press conference that the victim was slated to be discharged from hospital by yesterday evening.
The case has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further investigation.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) yesterday shows the Nepalese suspect being escorted to a police station in Taipa.
