Over a dozen people in court over DVDL $100 ‘bungs’

(CNS): Around a dozen people appeared in Grand Court last month facing corruption charges in relation to $100 bungs allegedly given to government officials at the Department of Vehicle and Driver’s Licensing to get their cars through the inspection process. The case is already presenting problems for the crown as it appears that many of the defendants will be tried separately after being charged by anti-corruption investigators.

About 20 people have been charged, and most of them are now facing charges. Marc Chin, a former DVDL officer, was allegedly taking $100 bribes in exchange for a clean bill of health for vehicles attending the Crewe Road inspection pit in what officials have described as a complex and protracted investigation. He was not among those who appeared and is expected to be arraigned in the New Year.

However, most of the others charged in this case are not officials but are vehicle owners who allegedly paid the bribe. This is the most people the Anti-Corruption Commission has ever charged in a single case.

Several years ago, the ACC began an investigation into immigration officials who were eventually charged with a conspiracy that involved them taking $600 bribes from non-English speakers applying for work permits to ‘pass’ the mandatory language test.

In the end, around a dozen people were charged. The case was divided into two trials after it presented a catalogue of problems for the crown and the courts, such as finding enough jurors and defence attorneys and ensuring there was sufficient space in the courthouse to hear the cases.

In this latest case, of the 21 people initially charged, more than a dozen are expected to go to trial next year. While some have entered guilty pleas to some charges, others have challenged the crown’s case against them and are applying for the charges to be dropped or reviewed.

A number of people have also been charged in what has been described by many as “low hanging fruit” for unlawfully obtaining personal data, contrary to section 54 (1) (a) of the Data Protection Act 2017, including local businessman Christopher Douglas Wight, the twin brother of David Wight, the opposition MP for George Town West. Chris Wight pleaded not guilty to the allegations against him last month and is now due to stand trial in May next year.

It’s not clear yet how the data protection breaches relate to the $100 bribes, as only a limited amount of information about the case has been released.

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