A Melbourne man has been charged with attempting to bribe a Commonwealth officer following an investigation undertaken by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) as a result of a referral from the Australian Border Force (ABF).
It will be alleged the 35-year-old Hughesdale man met two ABF Officers on 1 May this year where he sought one officer’s assistance in arranging future illegal importations of tobacco. The ABF subsequently referred the matter to the AFP for investigation.
The AFP executed a search warrant at the man’s premises yesterday (Wednesday, 17 July) and arrested him for offering a bribe to a Commonwealth public official.
He was later formally charged with:
- One count of dishonestly offering to provide benefit to a Commonwealth public official with the intention of influencing the Commonwealth public official in the exercise of their duties, contrary to section 141.1 Criminal Code 1995 (Cth).
The man appeared before the Melbourne Magistrate’s Bail and Remand Court yesterday where he was bailed to re-appear on 9 October.