Commission Against Corruption, Macao SAR

The CCAC has uncovered a case of bribery in the private sector and arrested six suspects, including two chefs of a restaurant and four members of food ingredient suppliers. Since late 2012, the head chef and one of the chefs of a restaurant have received bribes from three suppliers many times in the process of purchasing food ingredients and accepted low-quality and substandard ingredients in return, involving an amount of over MOP200,000 for the purchases. The behaviours have constituted violation of the law Prevention and Suppression of Bribery in the Private Sector. The case was referred to the Public Prosecutions Office today (12th December).

It is discovered that a foreign-funded restaurant in the shopping mall of a large hotel in Cotai hired a local man as the head chef responsible for selection of suppliers of ingredients. The head chef solicited pecuniary advantage from the suppliers as reward for acceptance of their supplies.

In the end of 2012, three companies that supplied fresh meat, frozen meat and vegetables to the restaurant started to offer advantage to the head chef, who returned the favour by accepting some low-quality or substandard food ingredients from them. There were once other chefs complaining about the quality of the purchases. However, the head chef had a hand in it so the concerned items were not returned for refund. It was also found that part of the substandard food ingredients were simply consumed by the staff or dumped. As a result, the restaurant suffered from a loss. The purchase of the concerned ingredients amounted to more than MOP200,000.

The head chef of the restaurant allegedly received illicit advantage from the suppliers and was therefore believed to have breached his/her duty and violated the provision of passive bribery defined by the law Prevention and Suppression of Bribery in the Private Sector. One of the chefs was found to be the accomplice of the head chef in the acceptance of bribes. Three men and a woman, who were people in charge and staff of the three suppliers, were suspected of committing active bribery. During the investigation, some confessed conducting the said illicit acts.

According to the law, the offences of active bribery and passive bribery may carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 2 years and 3 years respectively.