National Security 'Super Cop' found in illegal massage parlour

The discovery occurred during a raid against the "vice". Frederic Choi was suspended and placed under investigation for misconduct. The police are worried about saving their image. In February Carrie Lam had rewarded the official for his work.


Hong Kong (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The director of the department in charge of enforcing the law on national security was found in an illegal massage parlour during a raid by the "morality" police. The South China Morning Post reported today the 51-year-old Frederic Choi was suspended from his duties and put under investigation for "misconduct" by the police.

Attending an unlicensed massage parlour is not a crime in Hong Kong. For example, the law on national security affects far more serious offenses, such as holding primary elections to win a majority on the occasion of the renewal of the city parliament: this is the case of the 47 democratic personalities indicted and imprisoned for organizing or taking part in a competition in July to select democrat candidates for the September parliamentary elections (later postponed).

Police are concerned that the Choi scandal could damage their image. There is no danger that the Attorney General intends to deal with the matter under the national security law, which instead it invoked last week in the alleged real estate fraud case involving Jimmy Lai: the democrat tycoon is accused of subletting some premises destined for his Next Digital, the publisher of the Apple Daily newspaper, illegally.

According to local media reports, Choi was among the candidates to replace the current police chief. In February, Carrie Lam saw fit to honour the "super cop" for his contribution to protecting national security.

He is among seven Hong Kong officials sanctioned by the US for undermining the autonomy of the former British colony, a move that Lam and central authorities have called an unacceptable interference in China's internal affairs.