Three of the nine defendants in a trial related to convicted former chief public prosecutor Ho Chio Meng were acquitted yesterday while the other six were sentenced to two to 14 years behind bars.
Ho was sentenced to 21 years behind bars last month for over 1,500 crimes including corruption, fraud, embezzlement, organised crime, money laundering and unjustified wealth. He was also sentenced to pay 18.36 million patacas to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) as well as more than 57 million patacas in losses caused by him or other suspects in the case.
Ho, 62, was once tipped by some local media as a future chief executive. He is also a former senior anti-corruption officer.
Press photographers and cameramen react to the arrival of a vehicle of the Macau Correctional Services Bureau (DSC) taking some of the defendants back to Macau Prison in Coloane after yesterday’s sentencing at the brand-new building of the Court of First Instance (TJB) in Nam Van. Photo: Iong Tat Choi
