The Government Spokesperson Office announces details of memorial service for the Director General of the Macao Customs Service, Ms Lai Man Wa.
A memorial service for the Director General of the Macao Customs Service, Ms Lai Man Wa, will be held tomorrow at Kiang Wu Hospital Funeral Home, Government Spokesperson Mr Chan Chi Ping announced today. The ceremony will be followed by a funeral at St Michael’s Cemetery on Thursday, said Mr Chan at a press conference held this afternoon at the headquarters of the Judiciary Police. The press conference was called in order to reveal more information on the case and clarify any doubts. It was attended by the Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak; the Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service, Mr Ma Io Kun; the Director of the Judiciary Police, Mr Chau Wai Kuong; and a forensic expert of the Conde S. Januário Hospital, Mr O Heng Wa. Mr Wong reiterated that there was no evidence found so far to invalidate the initial findings of the investigation – that Ms Lai had committed suicide on 30 October. The handling of the case had been in line with legislation and with internal police guidelines, he added. He said the Government would continue to investigate the case in depth and will announce any further findings in due course, noting that there was a great deal of interest in information about the case. To fulfil the public’s right to know, the Secretary revealed details of the case based on the information gathered by the authorities, and after approval from the Public Prosecutions Office. The information gathered indicates the following: Ms Lai returned to her apartment in Ocean Gardens at 1.24pm on 30 October and left the building at 2.35pm on the same day. Ms Lai was then seen at 2.37pm walking to the location where her body was later found. The police received a call reporting the case at 3:30pm. An emergency medical team arrived at the scene at 3:38pm and on-site treatment was tendered at 3:40pm. Ms Lai was transported to Conde S. Januário Hospital at 4.03pm and certified dead at 4.41pm. Mr Wong denied allegations from some sources that the police had somehow concealed the truth and hindered media coverage, saying such claims were unfair on his team. Mr O Heng Wa, who examined the body at the hospital emergency room on 30 October, said forensic investigations indicated Ms Lai committed suicide and the cause of her death was suffocation. He added her urine samples were found positive for Benzodiazepine, a drug used to treat anxiety and insomnia. Mr Ma Io Kun additionally recalled that there was nothing strange about Ms Lai’s demeanour when he spoke to her by telephone on the morning of the day of her death.