Macau, China, 31 Out – The court of Second Instance (TSI) reduced Thrusday the prison terms of five convicts in a trial linked to the mega -corruption case of local policy secretary Ao Man Long arrested December 2006.
The five convicts, who had been sentenced to lengthy prison terms by the Court of First Instance (TJB),in June, where not present when the TSI announced its rulings.
The prison terms were shortened by between 28 percent and 72 percent following an appeal by the five convicts.
Two other defendants Ao Man Long´s fugitive wife Camila Chan Meng Ieng sentenced to 23 years and businessman Ho Meng Fai, who got 25 years imprisonment did not appeal their original prison terms. Both are wanted by Interpol.
The five benefiting from the rulings includes three of the ex-secretary´s family members – his brother Ao Man Fu, his sister-in-law Ao Chan Wa Choi and his elderly father Ao Veng Keong, whose sentences were reduced by between six and 13 years for crimes of money laundering on behalf of ex-policy secretary.
The other two convicts who saw their prison terms reduced are businessmen Chan Tong Sang and Frederico Nolasco da Silva.
Chan Tong Sang who headed the mainland state-owned Chon Tit Co.Ltd saw his seven-year prison term trimmed to five years.
The 10 year term of Nolasco da Silva, ex-manager of CSR waste collection franchise company , was lowered to six years yesterday.
Both Chan Tong Sang, who was sentenced in absentia, and Frederico Nolasco were sentenced for bribery and money laundering.
The TJB ruled to reduce the prison term of Ao Man Fu from 18 to five years, the term of Ao Chan Wa Choi (his wife) from 13 to four years and six months and the term of Ao Veng Kwong from 10 years to four years´imprisonment.
Ao Man Long, born in Macau in December 1956, was sentenced to 27 years´s imprisonment by the Court of Final Appeal in a separate trial in January on 57 charges of corruption, money laundering, abuse of power and related crimes.
He was legally barred from appealing his record sentence.
The ex-secretary for Transport and Public Works case reportedly involved at least 800 million patacas ( 100 million dollars) in ill-gotten gains.
On 8 December 2006, Ao Man Long was arrested based on a case built by the Macau Commission Against Corruption, making him the highest-ranking official arrested in the history of Macau.
(MacauNews)
