A federal judge in New York has tightened the house arrest conditions for a Chinese billionaire convicted of bribing United Nations diplomats.
The judge ordered Ng Lap Seng to remain inside his closely guarded luxury Manhattan apartment 24 hours a day, meaning Ng can no longer have a daily meal at a Chinatown restaurant.
The judge also ordered the bedroom door to stay open when Ng's massage therapist visits, and said the therapist has to stop cooking meals and feeding them to the guards.
The court will approve all non-family visits to the apartment, and an interpreter must monitor all conversations.
Persecutors had argued that Ng is a flight risk and could try to return to China before he can be sentenced. However, the judge rejected their appeals to put Ng in jail.
Ng was convicted last week of bribing U.N. diplomats of more than a million dollars to win their approval for a U.N. conference center he wanted to build in Macau. He apparently hoped the building would lead to more development, including hotels and shopping centers.
