The CCAC detected a case where persons in charge of a local education centre and almost 200 residents allegedly defrauded subsidies from the Continuing Education Development Plan. The education centre involved offered cash kickbacks to the persons who applied for the courses it launched. As a result, it successfully obtained the relevant subsidies granted by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ). The alleged scam involved a sum of more than MOP1 million.

The CCAC carried out an in-depth investigation upon receipt of a report at an earlier time. It came to light that at least 192 local residents had made enrolment applications for the various courses launched by the aforesaid education centre. All of these courses were subsidised by the Continuing Education Development Plan of the DSEJ. However, most of the residents did not attend the courses, but they only provided the education centre with their personal data and each received a cash kickback amounting to MOP2,000 to MOP2,500. Then the three persons-in-charge of the education centre applied for the subsidies from the DSEJ by submitting false information of application and attendance.

In the course of the investigation, the CCAC also found that someone even instructed some of the participants how to respond to CCAC officers’ questions in advance in an attempt to interfere in and evade the investigation. For example, they told them to memorise the names of the courses and the instructors and purport to have attended the courses, etc.

The case involved fraud, document forgery and computer forgery and was referred to the Public Prosecutions Office today.

The CCAC would like to remind citizens that when using any kind of government subsidy, they shall abide by the law so that every cent of the public fund will be used effectively in a targeted manner.