The government of Great Britain has agreed to return millions to Macau under the auspices of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, the Macau Daily Times reported. The assets were stolen by former Public Works Secretary Ao Man Long, who is now serving 29 years in prison on multiple charges including corruption and money laundering.
Ao, who was found guilty in January 2008, was ordered to forfeit all his assets, including a residential property in London, bank deposits and bonds, the Times reported. He was convicted of taking a HK$20 million (US$2.6 million) to help two Hong Kong developers acquire five parcels of prime land near Macau International Airport.
Macau Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said “almost all” of Ao’s overseas assets have been recovered.
The Times called Ao’s trial “the biggest corruption case in Macau’s history”; he reportedly amassed about US$100 million, “more than 57 times his income” over seven years as secretary.
