Family and colleagues of the police officer who shot himself to death three months ago told the Coroner's Court that he had been under heavy pressure at work for months before his suicide.

The court yesterday commenced an inquiry into the death of senior police inspector Michael Chan Kung-wai (40), of Hong Kong Island Region, who shot himself with a pistol in his office at the Hong Kong Police Force headquarters on July 25 this year. He was certified dead before arriving at hospital.

Testifying before the court, Chan's wife Ching Siu-wai said not only was he under pressure from his supervisor, his relation with his subordinates was also very bad.

She said Chan joined the Hong Kong Island's crimes unit about two years ago. But during the six months before his death, he was obviously unhappy with his work. Chan said her husband had told her that his supervisor did not appreciate his work and had criticized his failure to crack any cases. His relation with his subordinates was also very bad and they could not share his workload.

Chan did not have a gambling problem or chronic diseases, she added, and the family's financial status was fine.

She also told the court that Chan had phoned home moments before he died but suddenly hung up.

Meanwhile, Chan's 16-year-old son said his father had been distressed by work for six months before his death. The teenager said his father always came home with a frown on his face and complained about his workload.

Senior police inspector Wong Kit-pik said Chan handled things proactively and seriously, but she always heard him grumbling about his work. She added there was a period when Chan had to handle the work of three persons, on top of the task of venue security for the Olympic equestrian events. Unhappy with his work, he had expressed to Wong the desire to leave the crimes unit and get transferred to another department.

The Coroner's Court appointed a jury comprising four men and a woman to assist in the inquiry which is expected to complete in six days. Over 30 witnesses will be summoned.

(HK Edition 10/28/2008 page1)