The police have arrested two police officers and four other suspects for taking and giving bribes, while the two officers also stand accused of abetting at least one illegal entry and exit while on duty at the Barrier Gate and Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (HZMB) border checkpoints, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Choi Ian Fai said during a joint special press conference by the Public Security Police (PSP) and the Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday.
The Immigration Department is run by the Public Security Police (PSP).
According to Choi, the six male suspects – including the two PSP officers – were arrested on Monday. The suspects also include three middlemen and an overstayer. The first suspect is a 51-year-old police officer surnamed Wong. The second suspect is a 44-year-old police officer surnamed Leong. Both joined the Public Security Police in 1992 and 1995 respectively, Choi said.
Middlemen
Choi said the third, fourth and fifth suspects are the alleged middlemen in the case, two locals and a mainlander. The third suspect surnamed Law is a local resident aged 44. He told the police that he is a businessman. The fourth suspect, also a local resident, is surnamed Lao, aged 53. He told the police that he is unemployed. The fifth suspect is a mainlander surnamed Yang, aged 51. He told the police he is a businessman.
Casino junket operator
The sixth suspect surnamed Wu is a 30-year-old mainlander. He told the police that he is a casino junket operator.
According to Choi, Wu ran a casino junket business at a casino in Macau. As Wu was overstaying his seven-day business entry permit, he came up with the idea of bribing some police officers from the Immigration Department so that he could remain in Macau beyond the expiry of his entry permit.
Bribes
Wu first contacted Yang, Lao and Law who then introduced him to the two police officers from the Immigration Department. Wu paid Yang HK$400,000 and Lao and Law between HK$100,000 and HK$200,000.
Finally, Wu paid over HK$100,000 to the two police officers so that he could illegally exit and re-enter Macau.
According to Choi, the Judiciary Police received a tip-off in March that police officers had helped an overstayer exit and re-enter Macau through a border checkpoint.
Thanks to the CCTV footage from checkpoint counters, PJ officers confirmed that two police officers were involved in the illegal operation.
According to Choi, before Wu planned to illegally leave Macau via the HZMB border checkpoint in April, he communicated with the two officers in advance. Under the officers’ direction, he went to a specific immigration counter where one of them was on duty. The officer manipulated Wu’s record as an overstayer and changed it into a legal entry. When re-entering Macau later, one of the two officers gave Wu a new valid arrival card, Choi added.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded suspects to a PJ vehicle outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday. Photo: Kristy Chan
