CCAC uncovers abuse of power by two IACM chiefs

The CCAC has recently uncovered a case where a chief and a former chief of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), for a long period of time, covered up for two subordinates who were late to work and left early from the workplace. Given that these facts constituted a crime of abuse of power under the Penal Code, the case has been referred to the Public Prosecutions Office. According to the investigation, two public servants of the IACM frequently came in late to work and left early between 2011 and 2014. Such tardiness and early departures should be considered unjustified absences under the Staff Regulations of the IACM and the internal attendance policy. However, despite that the said two chiefs of the IACM had come to know from different sources the acts of the two subordinates, they wilfully did not, for almost four years, fulfil their duties and obligations as chief – neither did they take any measures to stop the acts of indiscipline of their subordinates, nor did they inform the superior about the problems. Instead, they continuously allowed their subordinates to be tardy to work and leave early as they pleased. In the course of CCAC’s investigation, one of the two chiefs involved, with the intention to conceal the illegal act of covering up for the subordinates for a long time, accepted several dozen absence records without proper evidence or explanation as justified, albeit with the knowledge that such act would go against the legal procedures. According to the relevant provisions of the public servant ordinance, unjustified absences, besides the disciplinary consequences they may carry, shall always determine forfeiture of remuneration corresponding to the days of absence. Over a period of four years the two public servants of the IACM were found to have over 600 unjustified absences in total. Due to the concealment of their acts by the two chiefs, the IACM improperly paid them the full remuneration, which resulted in a direct loss of some MOP550,000 to the SAR Government.