Suicide suspected as Macau's first female customs chief found dead in public toilet
Lai was due to attend security meeting in nearby Zhuhai; incident comes two weeks after member of Macau's Commission Against Corruption takes own life
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 31 October, 2015, 2:36am
UPDATED : Saturday, 31 October, 2015, 7:36pm
Christy Leung and Raquel Carvalho
Lai Man Wa was promoted in a reshuffle last year.
The body of Macau's first woman customs chief was found slumped in a public toilet yesterday afternoon - just hours before she was due to attend a security meeting in Zhuhai .
Police discovered Lai Man Wa, who was appointed director-general of Macau Customs in December, after they rushed to the public toilet in Ocean Gardens on Taipa Island following a phone call shortly after 3.30pm.
The cause of death had not been confirmed but initial investigations suggested she had committed suicide.
Married with two children, Lai, 56, was promoted as part of a major cabinet reshuffle by the city's Chief Executive Dr Fernando Chui Sai-on 10 months ago.
Her death shocked the city and prompted Chui to call a media briefing to express his condolences and to state that Lai had not been the subject of a probe by anti-corruption investigators in the gambling enclave.
Chui said he felt deeply saddened by Lai's death and had sent his deepest condolences to her family.
"I feel sorrowful and shocked, as Lai and I had been friends for so many years," he said.
"Lau had served the city for more than 30 years. She was very passionate, committed and held high integrity. The government highly recognised her contribution," Chui said.
Sources said Lai had seemed normal in the hours before her death and her behaviour did not suggest that anything was wrong.
She had been scheduled to attend a security meeting in Zhuhai at 4.30pm.
Her death comes two weeks after a member of staff from the city's Commission Against Corruption killed himself by jumping from the Dynasty Plaza building.
Secretariat for Security Wong Sio Chak will act as customs chief for the time being.
Wong said he would provide any possible assistance to Lai's family and that the authorities would continue to investigate her death.
Lai joined the Public Security Force of Macau in 1984 and worked for the marine police the following year. Since March 1999, she had been given various leadership roles, including deputy director of the Marine Police Bureau and deputy director-general of customs.
She was appointed customs chief in December 2014.
