Macau Court Imposes 12.5-Year Sentence on Former Legislator Au Kam San for Casino Licensing Leak in First National Security Prosecution

Former Macau legislator Au Kam San has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison after a closed-door trial. The conviction on November 6 marks the territory’s first public national security prosecution. Charges centered on leaking confidential information about casino licensing discussions from 2021.

Au received the material while serving on the Legislative Assembly’s Follow-up Committee for Land and Public Concessions Affairs. The committee held secret talks on renewing Macau casino operating licenses. He shared details from those meetings with outside groups, though authorities did not identify recipients or the precise content.

The court imposed a separate nine-month term for the confidentiality breach. National security charges for subversion and endangering security through external contacts produced the combined 12.5-year sentence. Au served in Macau’s legislature from 2001 to 2021.

Macau Casino License Overhaul Context

The case arises from the 2022 renewal process in which the government granted all six incumbent operators new 10-year concessions. Those agreements involved companies linked to Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts. The licenses took effect in January 2023.

Criticism of the Prosecution

Human Rights Watch stated that the trial raised serious questions about due process and could deter peaceful criticism of the government. Au’s wife Virginia Cheang described the case as politically motivated. The Macau government defended the verdict and its enforcement of the national security law introduced in 2009 and expanded in 2023.

This remains the sole publicly known prosecution under the statute to date. Authorities have not released further specifics on the external organizations contacted between 2023 and 2024.