A report by Macau’s Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) has revealed that some concessionaires for the first time in 2024 took the initiative of reporting staff suspected of bribery, representing the start of anti-corruption efforts in the private sector.
According to the report, there were two cases of bribery involving concessionaires reported by the private sector last year. The first case related to instances between September 2020 and February 2023 when a former head chef of the catering department of a concessionaire was accused of demanding new employees pay a referral fee of between MOP$1,000 and MOP$5,000 (US$124 and US$618) per month. The total amount involved in the case was as high as MOP$240,000 (US$29,670).
After the company discovered this, it reported the case to the CCAC and requested that the former head chef be investigated for his illegal acts. The case was transferred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in May 2024.
The second case occurred in February 2023 and involved a former manager of a concessionaire and his girlfriend. The manager used his position to allow his girlfriend to find job seekers and charge each of them between RMB15,000 and RMB25,000 (US$2,090 and US$3,480) as a referral fee to secure them jobs in the company’s management department.
Upon discovering the incident, the concessionaire reported it to the CCAC and requested that the two be investigated for their illegal acts. The case was transferred to the Procuratorate for handling in July 2024.
The CCAC pointed out that the development of this series of cases highlights that the progress of anti-corruption work in private enterprises is gradually becoming apparent, and that society’s zero-tolerance attitude towards bribery is also strengthening. This, the CCAC added, is undoubtedly a good start for combatting corruption in private enterprises.
