Graft buster nabs five suspects in bribery case allegedly linked to Mutual Help Grassroots

Macau’s graft buster has announced the first vote-buying case in this year’s Legislative Assembly (AL) election, arresting at least five individuals suspected of bribing others to sign nomination forms.

Reports indicate the involvement of the Mutual Help Grassroots direct election team led by Wong Wai Man.

The Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) announced around 6 p.m. Friday that it had uncovered a case involving alleged offers of money or benefits to induce individuals to endorse a candidate’s nomination by signing for its nomination committee – though no further details were disclosed.

The CCAC’s investigation revealed that at least five individuals used inducements to secure signed nomination forms, with some recipients allegedly accepting bribes. The statement further indicated that “some [suspects] admitted to engaging in these activities, while others confessed to forging voters’ signatures.”

The CCAC stated that it believes there are indications of violations of the Legislative Assembly Election Law regarding bribery, as well as potential breaches of the Macau Penal Code related to document forgery.

The case has been referred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further investigation, while the commission continues pursuing additional suspects.

On the same day the CCAC announced its findings, the media outlet All About Macau reported that Mutual Help Grassroots had arranged for another member to submit a nomination form to the Electoral Affairs Commission for the Legislative Assembly Election (CAEAL) by the previous day’s deadline due to Wong’s “disappearance.” However, this individual was taken by the CCAC the night before to assist in the vote-buying investigation.

Reportedly, the outlet contacted both the CCAC and CAEAL three hours before the former’s announcement. The CCAC did not respond, while CAEAL stated it had not confirmed whether Mutual Help Grassroots had submitted its nomination forms and would release the list of valid nomination committee members on Monday [today].

Wong, a representative of Mutual Help Grassroots seeking nomination for this year’s direct elections, is also suspected of involvement in an illegal mahjong operation. He was arrested by the Judiciary Police (PJ) last Wednesday for allegedly running an illegal mahjong parlor. The Public Prosecutions Office condemned his actions as undermining the order of the special administrative region’s gambling and tourism industry, negatively affecting the region’s economy and financial stability. It stated it would pursue criminal liability against those found guilty.

According to All About Macau, the outlet attempted to contact Wong multiple times over the past few days, but his phone remained off, resulting in a loss of contact for at least 33 hours as of Friday. Additionally, since Wong’s group failed to meet the minimum threshold of 300 voter nominations, it must submit the required additional nominations to CAEAL by Friday to avoid disqualification.