A man from the mainland has been arrested this week for reporting a false case of robbery to the police last Tuesday, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Wai Lok said in a regular press conference yesterday.
The suspect is a 39-year-old surnamed Guo.
According to Ho, Guo reported to the Public Security Police last Tuesday afternoon that he had been robbed in a street near a casino in Cotai and reported a loss of HK$153,000. Guo told the police that he had been attacked and pushed to the ground from behind by two men, and that they had robbed HK$153,000 cash from him. Guo said that they had run away and had reported the incident to the police at once.
The Public Security Police transferred the case to the Judiciary Police after receiving the report. The police discovered that Guo had no cash on him at the time of the incident, and after checking the citywide CCTV footage did not see Guo being robbed at all. Guo was arrested afterwards.
Under questioning, Guo admitted that he had reported a false robbery case because he was afraid to tell his family that he had lost all the money in gambling.
Guo has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing a charge of reporting a false case to the police. According to Article 330 of the Macau Penal Code he faces up to one year behind bars.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Wai Lok looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: AdaLei