Macau, China, March 12, 2026 (Lusa) - The Macau Monetary Authority (AMCM) told Lusa that it had launched an investigation into a local bank following a complaint of fraud estimated at 208 million patacas (€22.1 million).
Macau MP José Pereira Coutinho filed a complaint with the financial authority on Tuesday, alleging that several residents suffered total losses of more than 208 million patacas (€22.1 million) after purchasing financial products from a local bank.
The Portuguese MP of the Legislative Assembly of the semi-autonomous Chinese region told Lusa that he was "mediating between the parties" involved, but that it was not "appropriate to publicly disclose the name of the bank".
In response to questions from Lusa, Macau's financial regulator said it was attaching "the utmost importance" to the case and had already begun its investigation.
The authority added that it had been closely monitoring the operations and management of banking institutions to ensure "the soundness of their risk management and compliance with legal and regulatory standards in their governance, with the aim of safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of depositors and investors."
One of the complainants is Jay Chun, president of Paradise Entertainment Limited, a local company that produces electronic gambling equipment and systems. Lusa tried but was unable to contact the businessman.
"If irregular practices by financial institutions are confirmed, the AMCM, in the exercise of its powers, will take the appropriate supervisory measures," the authority said.
In 2025, Macao police arrested two executives linked to the local branches of the Bank of China and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, two of China's largest banks, as well as an executive of the Macao Chinese Bank.
The state-owned Bank of China is one of two currency-issuing banks in Macau, together with Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU), which belongs to the Portuguese state-owned Caixa Geral de Depósitos Group.
Macau's banks made a profit of 7.34 billion patacas (€785.5 billion) in 2025, almost double that of the previous year.
NCM/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
