The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested two men from the mainland on Tuesday for parallel betting (aka betting under the table), with one also facing a charge of making a false report, PJ spokesman Cheong Un Hong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Cheong identified the suspects as a 52-year-old man surnamed Li and a 38-year-old man surnamed Zhang. Both claimed to be jobless.
According to Cheong, the Judiciary Police (PJ) received a report early Tuesday morning from Zhang, who claimed that he had been cheated out of 48,000 yuan by Li during an illegal currency exchange deal at a casino in Zape. The police arrived at the scene and intercepted both Li and Zhang.
However, Cheong noted that the information provided by Zhang was inconsistent with the details of the case. The police later confirmed that Li and Zhang had been betting under the table in the casino the previous night. A man who was still at large at that time of the press conference introduced Li and Zhang to parallel betting; he acted as the host of the game and initiated a parallel betting agreement. Li and Zhang each contributed HK$50,000 to bet on baccarat, with the fugitive keeping the funds. Li decided whether to bet on the banker or the player, with the outcome determined by the results of the baccarat table. The maximum bet was HK$50,000, and Zhang was required to pay 1 percent of the betting amount as a “commission” to the fugitive.
According to Cheong, Li won, and Zhang, unwilling to accept his loss, called the police and falsely claimed that he had been defrauded by Li in an attempt to recover his money. After realising that Zhang had contacted the police, the fugitive fled the scene.
Under questioning, both suspects admitted to their crimes.
The duo were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, where Li is facing a charge of illegal gambling, while Zhang is facing charges of operating an illegal gambling business and making a false report.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Un Hong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: Ada Lei
