FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Kowie Geldenhuys EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Paulo Coutinho www.macaudailytimes.com.mo WEDNESDAY T. 27º/ 33º Air Quality Good MOP 8.00 3586 “ THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ ” N.º 29 Jul 2020 HKD 10.00 SJM RECORDS 74.4% FALL IN HOT SEATS: JUDGE, LAWYERS THE TEDXSENADOSQUARE FIRST HALF GAMING REVENUE PUBLIC SPEAKING EVENT WILL BE WITH VIP SEGMENT DROPPING HOPING FOR IPIM CASE HELD IN MACAU IN 2020 FOR THE FASTER THAN MASS RULINGS BY AUGUST SECOND TIME P3 P2 P5 AP PHOTO AP PHOTO PANDEMIC South Korea said yesterday it has won U.S. consent to use solid fuel for space launch vehicles, a move that is expected to enable Seoul to launch its first surveillance satellites and acquire technology HUNGER to build more powerful Virus-linked hunger is leading to the missiles. Solid fuel offers deaths of 10,000 more children a month, greater mobility for missiles and rockets, and according to an urgent call to action from reduces launch preparation P6-7 time. But Washington the United Nations had imposed strict restrictions on Seoul’s use of solid propellant. More on macaudailytimes.com AP PHOTO China New coronavirus cases continue to rise in China’s northwestern region of Xinjiang, with 57 reported yesterday. Beijing also reported its first case of domestic transmission in more than two weeks, while the northeastern province of Liaoning added another six cases in its local outbreak. Another four cases were found among Chinese travelers arriving from outside the country, bringing the daily total over the past 24 hours to 68. AP PHOTO Vietnam yesterday locked down its third-largest city for two weeks after 22 cases of COVID-19 were AP PHOTO Is the found linked to a hospital. Three baby Public transport into and entente in out of the central city of Da Nang was suspended. China-Vatic an abandonments Over the weekend, relations thousands of mostly in four years Vietnamese tourists during cut short their summer Macau has recorded three cases of infant vacations in the popular pandemic beach destination. here to stay? abandonment referred by hospitals from 2016 until June 2020 More on backpage P4 P2 page 2 www.macaudailytimes.com.mo MACAU 澳門 29.07.2020 wed MACAU’S LEADING NEWSPAPER ted to the development of Star- Tower in Hengqin. The witness said that, in partnership with Ng and ano- RENATO MARQUES RENATO ther business partner, he had acquired one whole tower of the project, accounting for some 100 housing units. This acquisition should have cost about 200 million yuan in total. The witness also said that the price of the whole tower was fixed at 21,000 yuan per square meter, and that that pri- ce should be the minimum sale price of the development, al- though he admits to having no awareness of any sales below this amount. According to the witness, the units were sold for an average of 22,000 yuan to 24,000 yuan per square meter. In some ca- ses, he was told by Ng to sell COURTS although he wanted to keep them to sell at a later stage with an added profit margin. Judge, lawyers hoping for The witness also said that in all cases, the sales were sub- ject to individual contracts and IPIM case rulings this August that all payments related to such contracts had to be done RENATO MARQUES not present any relevant facts activities are interrupted for The prosecutors also predic- via bank transfer to his bank or clarifications about matters the summer holidays. ted that their final allegations account, remarking that wi- HE high-profile court case in dispute, the Judge took some The defense lawyers also ex- would take at least two hours to thout exception, no payment Tinvolving corruption alle- time to organize the court work pressed their wish to finalize be delivered, with Judge Leong in cash or without the signing gations against the Macao Tra- for the upcoming weeks. the trial as soon as possible, suggesting that the court wou- of a formal contract had been de and Investment Promotion Judge Leong called on both and agreed that ideally, a de- ld need to book at least two full allowed. Institute is drawing to a close, the prosecution and the de- cision should be made before days for the final statements At the court, he also said that with the final statements from fense lawyers to confirm the the end of the judiciary year. proceedings. he did not know Miguel Ian and the prosecution and defense number and identity of witnes- Of note to the defense lawyers In light of this, it seems likely that he had never sold him any tentatively scheduled for next ses they considered essential was the case of the former pre- that a final decision on the trial unit on such a project. month. to call to the stand and which sident of IPIM, Jackson Chang, will be only known by Septem- Such facts do not credit the This imminent closure to the witnesses they might consider who is undergoing trial while ber when the judiciary activity theory proposed by the prose- case was acknowledged yester- waiving the hearing in court imprisoned. resumes. cution that Ian, a former Resi- day by presiding Judge, Leong for, where their testimony mi- With less than two weeks un- dency Application and Legal Fong Meng, while organizing ght be less important. til the end of the judiciary year, NO CONCEALED SALES AT Affairs Division chief, had been the upcoming court work and Judge Leong wanted to start that timeline seemed to be al- STARTOWER given benefits in the acqui- rescheduling witnesses to the with the final allegations as most abandoned given that the During yesterday’s court ses- sition of the several housing case. soon as possible, and ideally many defense lawyers would sion, one of the witnesses cal- units on the tower as compen- After an uneventful court before August 11, being the need to prepare their final sta- led to testify on the case was a sation for his help with the re- session in which the majori- date that the judiciary year clo- tements to court within that ti- former business partner of Ng sidency application processes ty of those called to testify did ses. After this date, the courts’ meframe. Kuok Sao on the business rela- at IPIM. IAS knows of three baby abandonments in 4 years LYNZY VALLES donment, explaining that to various family situations ral for inpatient services in centers, the monthly total upon receiving an applica- within the four year period, (including suspected aban- children’s and youth insti- income of the child’s family tion. ACAU has recorded there were no incidents re- doned infant cases referred tutions, IAS will assess and if it is a two-member hou- Once validated by the Mthree cases of suspec- corded in 2018 or in the first by hospitals) through nine determine the needs of the sehold should not be over court, the adoptive rela- ted infant abandonment half of 2020. homes for children and minors to be admitted to 19,425 patacas, 26,775 pata- tionship will become irre- referred by hospitals from There are no adoption youths,” the IAS explained. the children’s and youth cas for three-member hou- vocable, to safeguard the 2016 until June 2020, accor- centers in Macau, and These children include institutions, allocate suita- seholds, and 32,550 patacas best interests of the adopted ding to data provided by the adoption in the SAR is a those who are from single- ble institutions for them, for a four-member family. child. Social Welfare Bureau (IAS). challenging procedure. The -parent families, families and coordinate physical IAS is the only legitima- “The law requires a rigo- However, the IAS noted city has a total of nine ho- with disabled family mem- examinations and check- te agency to offer adoption rous adoption procedure: that there is “no obvious mes for children and youth. bers and families with pa- -in procedures,” the bureau services in the region. application, assessment, trend in the data” regarding “Macau provides resi- tients of chronic illness and added. According to the bureau, matching, observation pe- an increase or decrease in dential care services for mi- diseases. To be transferred to the- it can complete an adoption riod for adoption, and court frequency of baby aban- nors who are in crisis due “After receiving a refer- se government-subsidized assessment in three months validation,” IAS stated. www.macaudailytimes.com.mo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (DIRECTOR)_Paulo Coutinho [email protected] A MACAU TIMES PUBLICATIONS LTD PUBLICATION MANAGING EDITOR_Daniel Beitler [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS_Leanda Lee, Severo Portela, Sheyla Zandonai ADMINISTRATOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Kowie Geldenhuys [email protected] NEWSROOM AND CONTRIBUTORS_Albano Martins, Annabel Jackson, Anthony Lam, Emilie Tran, Irene Sam, OFFICE MANAGER Juliana Cheang [email protected] REACHING OUT! Ivo Carneiro de Sousa, Jacky I.F. Cheong, Jenny Lao-Phillips, João Palla Martins, Joseph Cheung, Julie Zhu, Juliet ADDRESS Av. da Praia Grande, 599, Edif. Comercial Rodrigues, 12 Floor C, Risdon, Linda Kennedy, Lynzy Valles, Paulo Cordeiro de Sousa, Renato Marques, Richard Whitfield, Viviana Seguí MACAU SAR Telephones: +853 287 160 81/2 Fax: +853 287 160 84 DESIGNERS_Eva Bucho, Miguel Bandeira | ASSOCIATE CONTRIBUTORS_JML Property, MdME Lawyers, Advertisement [email protected] +19,000 PokerStars, Ruan Du Toit Bester | NEWS AGENCIES_ Associated Press, Bloomberg, MacauHub, MacauNews, Xinhua For subscription and general issues: [email protected] | Printed at Welfare Printing Ltd Like us on facebook.com/mdtimes SECRETARY_Yang Dongxiao [email protected] SEND NEWSWORTHY INFORMATION AND PRESS RELEASES TO: [email protected] WEBSITE: WWW.MACAUDAILYTIMES.COM.MO www.macaudailytimes.com.mo page 3 wed 29.07.2020 澳門 MACAU MACAU’S LEADING NEWSPAPER Tourism board to include Hengqin in local tours HR association calls on unemployed Visits to other Greater Bay cities will form part of the Macao Ready Go! Local Tour campaign, the city’s tourism to improve their career skills chief, Maria Helena de Senna NEMPLOYED and group of underemployed resi- Fernandes, has said.