Former Macau lawmaker jailed for leaking casino licence information

Former Macau legislator Au Kam San has been sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison in the territory's first publicly announced national security case. He is alleged to have leaked information about confidential talks on casino licences to organisations outside Macau.

Au, 69, was convicted on Friday, 6 November, after a trial held behind closed doors. The charges include subverting the state, endangering national security through contact with outside organisations, and breaching official secrecy rules. The information was reported by Bloomberg.

The case stems from Au's time in 2021 on the Legislative Assembly's committee monitoring land and public concessions. The committee was discussing the renewal of casino operating licences in closed-door meetings. According to the court, Au shared information from those meetings with groups outside the territory. However, the recipients and the content of the materials shared were not disclosed.

The case comes amid a major restructuring of Macau's gambling industry. In 2022, the government granted six existing casino operators new 10-year concessions. The agreements were made with companies linked to global gaming groups such as Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts. The new licences took effect in January 2023.

Au also received a 9-month prison term for breaching confidentiality. The court found him guilty of more serious national security offences as well, bringing his total sentence to 12.5 years. The court found that Au worked with unnamed overseas organisations in 2023 and 2024. Officials said these activities were aimed at increasing opposition to Beijing, influencing foreign governments and interfering in the 2024 leadership election.

Human Rights Watch said the case raises serious questions about fair trial standards and could deter peaceful criticism. Au's wife, Virginia Cheang, said the case was brought for political reasons. The court said Au's lawyer had been present and that he could exercise his right to self-defence. It also said that family members would be allowed regular visits following the ruling. The Macau government defended the verdict.