Lai Man Wa

Lai Minhua (; January 1959 – 30 October 2015) was a police officer from Macau, who was Director General of Macau Customs Service. According to official sources, she died by suicide in 2015; however, doubt has been cast over this verdict.

Early life and education Lai was born in January 1959 in Macau, but her family originate from Guangdong. She graduated from Macau Security Force Higher School with a BA in police science and went on study for a MA in Public Administration from Sun Yat-sen University.

Career Lai joined the Macau Public Security Police Force in April 1984. She moved to the Marine Police Inspection Team the following year as a second-class officer. In June 1986, she was promoted to Deputy Sheriff; in October 1990, she was promoted to Sheriff. She was appointed Deputy Superintendent of Police in January 1995, and then rose to the position of Chief Police Officer. In March 1999, she was appointed deputy director of the Marine Police Inspection Bureau and deputy director of Customs.

Death On 30 October 2015, she was found dead in a public toilet next to a private housing estate in Taipa. According to the police, Lai had taken sleeping pills and had cuts on her right neck and wrists; in addition, a plastic bag had been placed on her head. The wounds on her body were consistent with self-infliction, but the utility knife apparently used was found neatly stored in the deceased's handbag. Later, the Judiciary Police ruled out the possibility of murder,

Legacy According to official sources, Lai was the first senior official to commit suicide in office since Macau was handed over to the People's Republic of China in 1999.