A Chinese national has been charged with allegedly attempting to bribe an Australian government official with $20,000 in cash hidden inside a bag of tea.
Guoxin Zhu, 39, a manager for a Shenzhen-based solar panel company, is accused of handing the tea to a Commonwealth public official during a business meeting in Brisbane on July 9. The official later discovered the money, which police allege was intended to influence business dealings. The official reported the incident to Queensland Police, initiating a joint investigation with the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
Zhu was arrested last Friday at Sydney International Airport as he attempted to board an international flight. Footage released by the AFP showed him being escorted by officers to a police vehicle.
He was charged with offering a secret commission to an agent and appeared in a Sydney court on Saturday. Prosecutors successfully argued for his extradition to Queensland, where he subsequently appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday. Zhu was refused bail and is scheduled to reappear in court on August 5.
During the bail hearing, Zhu's lawyer argued that his client was unaware of any investigation and had booked a return flight to China after completing his business. He also stated that Zhu was prepared to surrender his passport, report to the court regularly, and provide a surety deposit as part of bail conditions. The lawyer suggested that any potential penalty, if convicted, might not involve jail time, especially considering Zhu had already spent two days in custody.
However, the prosecution successfully contended that Zhu posed a flight risk. Acting National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Kylie Kilgour stated that the case highlights the NACC's role in safeguarding the integrity of public administration by investigating alleged corrupt conduct aimed at influencing public officials.