Macau's highest court sentenced a former minister to 27 years in jail yesterday for taking tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks, in the gambling enclave's largest corruption case.
Ao Man-long (
"The court ruled according to the law -- I think it was very just," Chief Executive Edmund Ho (
Ao was the highest level official ever sentenced for graft and his trial came as the former Portuguese territory tries to shrug off a reputation for organized crime and reinvent itself as holiday destination in the image of Las Vegas.
In recent years, Macau -- the only place in China where casino gambling is legal -- has drawn several high profile Las Vegas operators who have invested billions of dollars in building upscale casino resorts to attract China's newly rich. Ao was accused of handing some of those construction contracts to firms in return for kickbacks.
He stood as the three-judge panel delivered its verdict at the territory's highest court, before being escorted out of the packed courtroom by two security guards.
Judges accused Ao of "greed" and "shocking" behavior that had smeared the reputation of Macau and its government.
Ao's lawyer, Nuno Simoes, said the severity of the sentence meant they were entitled to an appeal.
Under Macanese law, Ao could have received a 30-year sentence.
He was tried in the territory's highest court, the Court of Final Appeal, because of his seniority. It was not clear which court would be allowed to hear any appeal in the case.
Ao, who was arrested in December 2006, denied any wrongdoing throughout the monthlong trial.
In a four-month investigation, anti-graft officials said they discovered assets worth about 800 million patacas (US$99.5 million), more than 57 times what Ao and his family could have earned over a seven-year period.
During sentencing the judges said assets worth 250 million patacas would be confiscated, as well as properties Ao bought in London, Macau and Hong Kong.
Investigators would also seek cooperation from the Virgin Islands where Ao set up companies with the intent to launder his ill-gotten gains, they said.
Some of Ao's family, including his father and wife, and four business associates also face a range of money-laundering charges linked to Ao's case, but in a separate trial.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest foundry service provider, yesterday said that global semiconductor revenue is projected to hit US$1.5 trillion in 2030, after the figure exceeds US$1 trillion this year, as artificial intelligence (AI) demand boosts consumption of token and compute power. “We are still at the beginning of the AI revolution, but we already see a significant impact across the whole semiconductor ecosystem,” TSMC deputy cochief operating officer Kevin Zhang (張曉強) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Hsinchu City. “It is fair to say that in the past decade, smartphones and other mobile devices were
US-CHINA SUMMIT: MOFA welcomed US reassurance of no change in its Taiwan policy; Trump said he did not comment when Xi talked of opposing independence US President Donald Trump yesterday said he has not made a decision on whether to move forward with a major arms package for Taiwan after hearing concerns about it from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Trump’s comments on Taiwan came as he flew back to Washington after wrapping up critical talks in which both leaders said important progress was made in stabilizing US-China relations even as deep differences persist between the world’s two biggest powers on Iran and Taiwan. “I will make a determination,” Trump said, adding: “I’ll be making decisions. But, you know, I think the last thing we need right
TAIWAN ISSUE: US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said on the first day of meetings that ‘it wouldn’t be a US-China summit without the Taiwan issue coming up’ There were no surprises on the first day of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday, as the government reiterated that cross-strait stability is crucial to the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the world. As the two presidents met for a highly anticipated summit yesterday, Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump that missteps regarding Taiwan could push their two countries into “conflict.” Trump arrived in China with accolades for his host, calling Xi a “great leader” and “friend,” and extending an invitation to visit the White House
SECURITY: Taipei presses the US for arms supplies, saying the arms sales are not only a reflection of the US security commitment to Taiwan but also serve as a mutual deterrent against regional threats Taiwan is committed to preserving the cross-strait “status quo” and contributing to regional peace and stability, the Presidential Office said yesterday. “It is an undeniable fact that the Republic of China is a sovereign and independent democratic nation,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) reiterated, adding that Beijing has no right to claim sovereignty over Taiwan. The statements came after US President Donald Trump warned against Taiwanese independence. Trump wrapped up a state visit to Beijing on Friday, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had pressed him not to support Taiwan. Taiwan depends heavily on US security backing to deter China from carrying
RSS