Macau’s Court of Final Appeal has increased the prison sentence of a former deputy prosecutor to 26 years over corruption-related offences. The court rejected an appeal and, partly accepting arguments from the prosecution and a co-accused, raised the punishment from 24 to 26 years. The decision added further convictions, finding the former deputy prosecutor guilty of 52 additional counts of prevarication and one count of passive corruption for an unlawful act. A lower court had previously acquitted him of the added prevarication charge. This was the second time Macau’s justice system increased the sentence. In March, the Court of Second Instance had already raised the overall term from 21 to 24 years. The case originally began with a 17-year jail term imposed by Macau’s Court of First Instance in January 2024. That sentence was handed down in proceedings where the former deputy prosecutor was accused of helping people escape justice. The court also ordered forfeiture of assets held by the former deputy prosecutor worth 14 million patacas, about 1.5 million euros, deeming the money to be of “unknown origin”. The judges said the funds likely came from bribes, disguised as “fees” or “consulting fees”, paid to a couple of money exchange businessmen. On Friday, the Court of Final Appeal also increased the businessman’s sentence from 16 years and nine months to 17 years. The lawyer co-accused received a 17-year sentence, two years more than in the earlier decision. A Portuguese lawyer involved in the case was acquitted by both the Court of Second Instance and the Court of First Instance. There is no further appeal possible against the Court of Final Appeal ruling.