Macau’s Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) has indicated that, for the first time, gaming operators have taken the initiative to file complaints regarding alleged bribery in the private sector, even against their employees.
The 2024 Annual Report was published today in the city’s Official Gazette, detailing a total of 293 cases formally placed on file throughout the year.
These included 113 cases investigated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau and 147 handled by the Macau Ombudsman. Additionally, 33 cases involved mutual assistance requests from law enforcement agencies outside the region, while 393 cases were either archived or referred to other departments as they did not meet the threshold for investigation.
A notable development highlighted in the report is the increasing willingness of private enterprises to take action against corruption internally. According to the CCAC, for the first time, ‘some integrated resort enterprises took the initiative to file complaints against alleged bribery in the private sector involving their employees.’
The commission emphasized that this marked ‘a change in the society’s attitude towards the processing of cases involving bribery in the private sector.’
Two bribery cases within the private sector were investigated and processed during 2024, which the CCAC said signaled a shift towards greater corporate accountability.
On the public sector front, the CCAC pursued several cases, including one involving alleged fraud against the Science and Technology Development Fund. Furthermore, the commission proactively investigated concerns highlighted in an audit report issued by the Commission of Audit related to the management of a public fund.
Although the investigation found no criminal conduct, the CCAC requested improvements in the fund’s administrative procedures and recommended measures to ‘plug the loopholes in supervision.’ The commission stated this was necessary to address ‘administrative problems discovered in the investigation.’
The CCAC also addressed trends in public sector behavior, noting a ‘significant decrease in the number of cases where public servants capitalize on their powers and functions to accept bribes.’
However, it expressed concern over continued breaches of basic professional duties, such as assiduity and punctuality.
