A junior field worker at Suncity's market development department was subjected to "mental torture" by mainland Chinese authorities, a Macau court has revealed.
Lao Yian tearfully told the Macau Court of First Instance that his girlfriend Au Wang Tong was detained in the mainland in December 2020. When she met him again in March 12, he was "changed completely," she testified (via Macau Business).
Au is a defendant in a sprawling 21-person Macau trial involving the now-defunct mega-junket Suncity, which prosecutors have labeled a “criminal syndicate.”Defendants, including former chairman and CEO Alvin Chau, have been charged with illegal gambling, criminal association, fraud and money laundering.
Au is absent from the formalities in Macau as he is prohibited from leaving the mainland.Authorities in the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou have separately indicted dozens of former Suncity operatives.According to Macau Business, Au's role at Suncity was to create illegal cash accounts and promote the junket's VIP rooms to mainland residents.
break down and commit suicide
Au was arrested at the Macau-Zhuhai border checkpoint when he and Lao completed their trip to the mainland and attempted to return to Macau, Lao testified.
"At the time, I didn't know what was going on. Customs officers just told me to go home when they took my boyfriend away," she testified (reported by Macau Business). .
A few months later, with the help of a mainland lawyer, she learned that her boyfriend was imprisoned on the mainland.
「劉さんは、弁護士に、彼は狭い部屋に監禁され、（ずっと）立っていることを強制され、入浴することも許されないと言ったそうです。"彼は精神的に拷問され......情緒不安定になった」と。Rao, who was finally reunited 15 months after being detained, said he had lost weight and looked exhausted.He had scars on his wrists and thought nothing but suicide every day during his confinement, Rao said.
Trial against Suncity
Macau authorities have accused Suncity of operating illegal side bets and defrauding the Macau government of more than US$10 billion in gaming taxes.The junket also offered illegal proxy betting services and online gambling, prosecutors allege.
Suncity was once the largest operator in the junket industry, bringing huge revenues to Macau's casino sector.Beijing's Politburo has accused the industry of fostering money laundering and capital flight.
In September, a Wenzhou court convicted 9 Suncity operators of gambling crimes. Au is not included in it.He is scheduled to be tried with other defendants in the future.
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