CCAC annual report highlights work conducted ‘according to mainland policies’

The Commission Against Corruption’s (CCAC) annual report of 2017 was published yesterday in the government’s Official Gazette.

The report highlights the “difficult year” with “many cases” addressed, covers the added work related to the Elections of the 6th Legislative Assembly, and also notes the duties and work done by graft busters following the policies related to the Chinese central government.

In the preface of the annual report, CCAC commissioner André Cheong says, “although the social environment and legal systems are different between Macau and the Chinese mainland, the strong determination and monumental achievements of the Chinese mainland in the fight against corruption will definitely have far-reaching impacts on the long-term peace and stability of Macau,” adding that as a “designated anti-graft agency of the SAR, the CCAC will proactively draw on the successful experience of the Chinese mainland in corruption fighting, strictly implementing its statutory duties as a graft fighter and ombudsman and strive to improve mechanism building that upholds integrity.”

In the report, CCAC’s work in areas such as the Legislative Assembly Elections, anti-corruption, ombudsman affairs, promotion and education, and exchange and training are summarized. It includes more detailed information of some of the criminal cases and administrative complaints investigated or handled by the CCAC during the past year.
Besides the elections, emphasis has been placed on the release of the “Investigation report on the typhoon forecasting procedures and internal management of the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau” as well as the “Investigation report on the employment of workers through acquisition of services by the Cultural Affairs Bureau.” These are two big topics in Macau lately and are thought to be a result of the Commission paying extra attention to the responsibilities of public officials. According to the CCAC, officials need to have “the awareness of the administration on the need to proceed according to the law” as well as the ability to make “scientific decisions.”

The CCAC has also added a note that, “in order to ensure that ‘power comes with responsibility,’ the SAR government should review the legislation pertaining to disciplinary mechanisms for public servants and promptly improve the accountability systems for leadership and senior management officers.”

Another highlight is information relating to the case that led to the trial and sentencing of former Prosecutor-General, Ho Chio Meng, by the Court of Final Appeal. The CCAC records its relevant participation and that the guilty verdict “has demonstrated the truth that the long arm of the law is inescapable.”

The CCAC also noted an increase in the number of the cases handled in 2017, where a total of 1,264 complaints was registered (39 percent more than in 2016) of which the Commission concluded investigations of 537.

The report also featured eight cases outlined by CCAC in more detail involving fraudulent conducts from police officers and other authorities, such as labor department inspectors and a Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau’s department chief.

Two drivers caught by CCAC in racing subsidies fraud

Two local race drivers, one of them a deputy chief of the Public Security Police Force (PSP), have been caught engaging in fraudulent activities in the application for racing subsidies from the Macao Foundation, the CCAC revealed in its annual report.

According to the details provided, the drivers managed to forge the participation results from race events held in mainland China at different occasions (in the case of the deputy chief of PSP for two consecutive years), while benefiting from government subsidies of around MOP130,000 between 2012 and 2013, to which they were not entitled.

The suspects were accused of swindling and document forgery and were presented to the Public Prosecutions Office for the crimes.
In another case, a Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) inspector was accused of soliciting a bribe from a company owner. Afterwards, he investigated the company and found the company had illegally employed non-resident workers with working permits to work at different companies and performing different duties. The inspector also found that the company had failed to pay its non- resident workers’ compensation and housing allowance.

According to the details provided by the CCAC, the inspector then invited the company’s owner to a secret meeting in which he requested an amount of MOP50,000, in order to hide the misconduct of the company.