Pedro Chiang is no longer defendant

Businessman Pedro Chiang, the main defendant of the fifth case related with the Ao Man Long corruption saga, is no longer under trial at the Lower Court (TJB), thanks to a Second Instance Court (TSI) decision released yesterday.
According to Radio Macau, the TSI considered that Pedro Chiang was wrongly notified by the prosecution. However, that does not mean that he would not be a defendant in further cases.
The appeal was filed by the defendant’s attorney Joao Miguel Barros, who said that such a decision would be like “a virus spreading to other cases” besides Chiang’s.
For the time being, he pointed out, the fifth case linked to the former secretary is at stake. Although there are 12 other defendants, more than half of the cases are related to Chiang. He said that other defendants could also claim they were wrongly notified.
Chiang, aged 56, was accused of seven counts of corruption, four of abuse of power and one of money laundering in the corruption scandal of former secretary Ao Man Long, but he fled Macau in 2007 before being called to testify by the CCAC.
With an Interpol warrant out for his arrest for more than a year, the businessman, a Portuguese and Cambodian dual national, lived in Cambodia, but has been residing in Lisbon since September 14 last year with his wife and son.
Chiang has expressed to the Attorney General’s Office his willingness to be investigated and prosecuted by the Portuguese authorities, but it was denied.
In 2001, Portugal and Macau agreed on legal and judicial cooperation, which requires each region to report judicial proceedings in criminal matters and to aid in the capture and surrender of suspects. However, the extradition of Portuguese citizens out of the country is only permitted in cases of terrorism and international organised crime.