The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a man from the Chinese mainland on Wednesday for making a false report after gambling away his money at a casino, PJ spokeswoman Leong Sok Man said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Leong identified the suspect as a 31-year-old supermarket owner, surnamed Chi.
According to Leong, at around 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, the Judiciary Police received a report from Chi, who said that he had rented a room in a residential flat in Nape on Sunday from an acquaintance for 350 patacas per day.
Leong also said Chi claimed that he had placed HK$30,000 (30,880 patacas) in cash in the room he rented and locked the door before leaving. When he returned to the room early on Wednesday morning, he claimed he discovered that the money was missing.
However, while recording his statement, PJ officers found that Chi was unable to explain key details of the alleged theft, raising suspicions that the report was false, Leong said.
Leong added that upon further questioning, the suspect admitted that he had lost the HK$30,000 while gambling at a casino and, unable to explain the loss to his family, fabricated the theft report in an attempt to conceal the gambling loss.
Chi has meanwhile been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), where he faces a charge of falsely reporting a crime.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokeswoman Leong Sok Man looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: MPD
