First national security case pre-trial complete, transferred to Lower Court for scheduling
The Criminal Preliminary Investigation Court of the Lower Court (TJB) on July 2 heard a pre-trial application filed by suspect Au Kam San regarding the indictment brought against him by the Public Prosecutions Office (MP).
During the pre-trial proceedings, due to the necessity of protecting national security interests and following a binding review opinion issued by the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), the pre-trial judge granted special permission for the court-appointed lawyer previously accepted by the suspect to continue with his defence. The suspect’s procedural rights were also ensured in accordance with the law.
Following supplementary investigations and pre-trial debates, the pre-trial judge issued a pre-trial ruling on July 2, confirming and upholding the Public Prosecutions Office’s indictment. The judge ruled that suspect Au Kam San acted as a principal offender in the consummation of the crimes of “subversion of state power”, “establishing contact with organisations, groups or individuals outside the Macao Special Administrative Region to commit acts endangering national security”, and “breach of secrecy”.
The case has been transferred to the Criminal Court of the Lower Court. The presiding judge will schedule the trial in accordance with the provisions of procedural law, while ensuring the suspect’s various procedural rights according to law.
N.B. Translation from Chinese arranged and edited by The Macau Post Daily
