The Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) said in a statement yesterday that a Public Security Police (PSP) officer who worked at the immigration counters in the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal helped an illegal immigrant leave Macau by forging the latter’s entry records in exchange for a bribe.
The statement did not say when the police officer helped the illegal immigrant leave Macau. It did not mention the officer’s surname, or his age, merely indicating that he’s male.
According to the statement, the police officer’s forgery of the illegal immigrant’s entry record was discovered in an investigation which the anti-graft body had launched after receiving a tip-off claiming that the officer had been bribed by someone and leaked confidential internal information to others.
According to the statement, the CCAC investigation also discovered that the police officer had also been leaking a number of people’s entry and exit records to “a person active in [local] casinos in return for a monthly payment per person whose data was leaked.”
The police officer allegedly committed the crimes of bribe-taking and computer forgery, the statement said.
In its investigation, Macau’s graft busters also discovered that the assets owned by the police officer exceeded by far the total income earnt from his position as a public servant over the years, which included unexplained wealth of more than five million patacas which was not listed in the officers’ assets declaration submitted to the authorities, the statement said.
Furthermore, the statement said, the CCAC investigation also discovered that the police officer, acting at the behest of someone, had checked confidential internal information such as a number of people’s entry and exit records and data concerning certain people under surveillance by the police, as well as information on a raft of cases that were under investigation.
According to the statement, the police officer obtained access to confidential internal information with the help of four fellow police officers working in different units of the police. After obtaining the data, the police officers leaked the information to a number of people, the statement said.
According to the statement, the police officer is alleged to have committed a string of offences involving abuse of power and breach of secrecy as he underhandedly obtained confidential internal police information without his superiors’ permission and then gave the information to others.
The statement said that the anti-graft body has transferred the police officer’s case to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) for further investigation.
Secretary for Security’s reaction
Meanwhile, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said in a statement yesterday that he’s paying close attention to the case announced by the Commission Against Corruption.
The statement noted that the police officer was sentenced early this year to a prison term for a number of criminal offences such as bribe-taking, breach of secrecy, providing shelter for illegal immigrants and overstayers, and computer forgery, adding that the police officer has been remanded in custody awaiting the outcome of his appeal against his conviction.
According to Wong’s statement, the Public Security Police have launched disciplinary procedures against the four police officers who allegedly helped the police officer investigated by the Commission Against Corruption.
One the four officers, according to Wong’s statement, was suspended from his duties by a court order in July last year for his alleged breach of secrecy several years ago. The other three officers were suspended by the Public Security Police yesterday as a precautionary measure, the statement said.
In his statement, Wong urged the Public Security Police to constantly strengthen its disciplinary management.
This undated photo taken from the Commission Against Corruption’s (CCAC) website yesterday shows its “Complaint Centre” in Dynasty Plaza in Nape.
