Executive chef accused of soliciting bribes from subordinates

The corruption watchdog received a report accusing a food and beverage executive chef of soliciting hundreds of thousands in bribes from subordinate staff over two years.

According to the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) report, the chef abused his power to recruit, dismiss and promote workers in the department between September 2020 and February 2023 by soliciting “fees” from subordinates each month as kickbacks for job recommendations and contract renewals. He did this through taking advantage of his position, as he would repeatedly ask his subordinates to “show respect” to him by paying “fees” every month over the past three years, totaling MOP240,000. The unnamed chef has since been fired by the gaming company that wholly owns the food and beverage department.

An investigation found there was merit to the accusations, with the chef allegedly committing “passive bribery” as defined in Macau’s law against private sector corruption. No other details about the company or individuals involved were disclosed.

The case has been referred to Public Prosecutions Office for potential criminal proceedings. CCAC urged the public to report any illicit acts such as bribery immediately and reminded private sector workers and companies of their legal obligation to operate with integrity.

While bribery corrodes professional standards and the rule of law, reporting such offenses helps protect workers and ensures a level playing field for businesses, the CCAC representative said. The bureau encouraged anyone discovering potential corruption to come forward to aid in prevention and prosecution efforts. Staff Reporter