Macau court rejects writ of habeas corpus filed by defendants in Alvin Chau case

In the case of former Suncity Group chairman Alvin Chau, the Court of Final Appeal in Macau has reportedly refused a petition of habeas corpus to many defendants. The accused now faces a three-year sentence, according to the court.

In November 2021, Alvin Chau and four other accused individuals were taken into custody and placed in Coloane Prison. They have been detained there for over two years as part of mandatory procedures. Chau was given an 18-year prison sentence by the Court of First Instance in January; the punishments of the other 12 inmates ranged from 15 years to five months with suspension.

In October, Macau’s Court of Second Instance partially upheld the group’s appeal; nonetheless, their prison sentences were not shortened. The court has increased its reparation obligations for money laundering allegations to HK$25 billion (US$3.2 billion). An appeal was filed with the Court of Final Appeal by the accused as well as the Procuratorate.

Chau and four other suspects had been detained for almost two years when their legal team petitioned the Court of Final Appeal for habeas corpus, arguing that the detention was illegal. Two of the three judges found that the offenders were committing “triad offenses,” thus the court refused the request and the three-year sentence was increased. Alvin Chau is not a party to this decision and did not submit an equivalent motion to the court.

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Original story by: IAG