Woman cheated out of 2.5 million patacas by man claiming he could help her husband get lenient sentence
A female real estate agent has been cheated out of 2.5 million patacas by a male friend, who told her last year that with the money he could ensure that the court give her husband a lenient sentence for the serious crimes he had committed, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Kam Fai said during a special press conference on Friday.
However, the victim’s husband was sentenced to a heavy prison term by the court in April, after which the suspect admitted to the woman that he had never provided any assistance concerning her husband’s case and promised to return the money to her. The victim reported the case to the police in May after the suspect kept making excuses to delay returning the money, according to Cheong.
Cheong did not say for which serious crimes the victim’s husband was sentenced.
Cheong said the suspect is an unemployed local man in his forties surnamed Leong who has known the victim for over 10 years.
Cheong said that in April last year the victim’s husband was remanded in custody for serious crimes awaiting sentencing.
Leong contacted the victim and told her that he could provide “special assistance” so that her husband would be given a “lenient sentence”, but he would need a total of 2.5 million patacas to assist in the matter, Cheong said.
According to Cheong, the victim believed what Leong told her, and she paid him the 2.5 million patacas in three tranches.
In April this year, the victim’s husband was sentenced to a long prison term. The victim suspected that Leong had cheated her and confronted him about it. Leong admitted to having cheated her out of the money and that he had never provided any assistance in her husband’s case, Cheong said, adding that Leong promised that he would return the money.
As the victim had known Leong for many years, she decided not to report the case to the police. However, Leong repeatedly made excuses as to why he could not return any of the money to her at that time so that finally she reported the case to the Judiciary Police on May 21, Cheong said.
PJ officers contacted the lawyer who had handled the case of the victim’s husband, Cheong said, adding that the lawyer told the police that he didn’t know Leong.
PJ officers went to Leong’s home in Taipa on Thursday and arrested him. The police seized HK$150,000 from Leong, which they believe was part of the money that he had received from the victim, Cheong said.
Under questioning, Leong denied having cheated the woman. Leong claimed that he took the initiative to help merely because he cared about his friend.
However, according to Cheong, PJ officers have collected enough evidence to show that Leong cheated the victim, and therefore decided to transfer him to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for further questioning.
The suspect faces a charge of fraud involving a considerable amount, officially defined as exceeding 150,000 patacas, Cheong said.
The cash and a mobile phone seized from the fraud suspect are displayed in a pressroom of the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters on Friday. Photo: PJ
