A Chinese man working as a senior manager for a solar and battery inverter company has been charged with allegedly trying to bribe a Commonwealth public official during a product approval process, according to reports from news media, Queensland Police Service, and Australian Federal Police.
Thirty-nine-year-old Guoxin Zhu was arrested at Sydney International Airport as he was preparing to board an overseas flight.
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Queensland Police Service, with assistance from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), extradited and charged a man following investigations into the alleged attempted bribery of a public official.
On 9 July, Zhu allegedly attempted to bribe a Commonwealth public official during a business meeting in Camp Hill. Police allege that during the meeting, the man handed the woman a bag of tea, which was later found to contain $20,000 cash.
Upper Mount Gravatt Criminal Investigation Branch Detectives established Operation Yankee Borderlands in response to a report of crime from the woman and commenced joint investigations with the AFP and NACC.
After being arrested at Sydney International Airport on 24 July, Queensland Police Service successfully extradited Zhu back to Queensland the next day.
Zhu appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on 27 July charged with one count of gift or offer a secret commission to an agent. His application for bail was denied.
Acting National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Kylie Kilgour said the investigation was a reminder of the Commission’s remit.
“In this case, the alleged corrupt conduct is an example of someone attempting to influence a Commonwealth public official’s honest and impartial performance of their duties and functions. This is a form of corrupt conduct under the NACC Act,” she said.
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The Commission acknowledged the appropriate conduct of the Commonwealth public official and the agency they work for in swiftly reporting the alleged misconduct.
