ICAC rises to challenges and continues to uphold integrity culture in Hong Kong, latest annual report reveals
2021-7-7
The ICAC remained steadfast and continued to uphold the probity culture in Hong Kong in the face of unprecedented adversities brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2020 ICAC Annual Report released today (July 7).
Tabling the annual report at the Legislative Council (LegCo) today, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Corruption and legislator Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong remarked that the ICAC had demonstrated its unrelenting determination despite 2020 was a year fraught with challenges.
“Notwithstanding the adversities brought by coronavirus pandemic, geopolitical tensions and destruction made by some radicals, the ICAC has remained steadfast and unwavering in discharging its anti-corruption mission through law enforcement, prevention and community education,” Mr Liao said.
In 2020, the ICAC received 1,924 non-election related corruption complaints, representing a drop of 16 per cent when compared with 2019.
Mr Liao noted that the decrease of corruption complaints was due to a notable drop in that concerning the private sector, which was likely caused by a substantial decline in economic activities during the pandemic and the public’s preoccupation with other socio-economic issues.
Moreover, a total of 868 complaints alleging breaches of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance were received. Among them were 850 complaints concerning the District Council Election held in November 2019 while the rest were related to the LegCo Election originally scheduled for September last year.
Mr Liao noted that Hong Kong continued to have a low level of corruption. In the 2020 ICAC Annual Survey, 98.4 per cent of the respondents said they had not encountered corruption personally in the past 12 months.
In the Commissioner’s Review of the annual report, ICAC Commissioner Mr Simon Peh Yun-lu said ICAC had gone through ups and downs with the city in the past 46 years. The graft buster had shown its persistence in upholding the rule of law and maintaining Hong Kong as one of the cleanest cities in the world.
“Facing the roller coaster of changes in the past year, the ICAC remained persevered and carried on with its mission to combat corruption in both public and private sectors, promoting the values of rule of law and probity among different strata of the society and engaging the public to foster a clean society,” Mr Peh said.
The Commissioner noted that the ICAC had adopted flexible measures to ensure the efficacy of its work under the coronavirus pandemic.
“Despite the pandemic and the special work arrangements, the ICAC continues to take robust enforcement actions by pursuing each complaint and handling all investigations professionally and impartially,” he added.
The ICAC also made meticulous efforts in offering corruption prevention service. During the year, the ICAC completed 65 assignment reports and offered tailored corruption prevention advice on over 970 occasions to assist both public and private sectors to plug loopholes in their systems and procedures that might give rise to corrupt practices.
On the education front, the ICAC reached the community and disseminate integrity messages to members of the public by adopting a flexible and resilient approach. By combining face-to-face outreach with online activities amidst social distancing measures, the Commission organised over 700 online anti-corruption talks and training last year.
Noting that the LegCo Election and the Election Committee Subsector Election would be held in 2021, Mr Peh said the ICAC would go all out to ensure the integrity of the elections and enforce the Elections (Corrupt & Illegal Conduct) Ordinance professionally and effectively.
Meanwhile, in 2020 the ICAC continued to collaborate with its international anti-graft counterparts via online platforms. Apart from organising online capacity building programmes for various overseas anti-corruption agencies, the Commission also participated in international webinars to share its graft-fighting experience.
As an Executive Committee member and the Training Committee convenor of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), the ICAC proactively helped map out training initiatives for the IAACA and provided advisory services for its member organisations, Mr Peh noted.
After the first tripartite meeting with the heads of the Guangdong Provincial Commission of Supervision and the Commission Against Corruption of Macao held in May 2019, the ICAC maintained ongoing liaison with the two parties with a view to organising the second tripartite meeting in future.
Tabling the annual report at the Legislative Council (LegCo) today, Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Corruption and legislator Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong remarked that the ICAC had demonstrated its unrelenting determination despite 2020 was a year fraught with challenges.
“Notwithstanding the adversities brought by coronavirus pandemic, geopolitical tensions and destruction made by some radicals, the ICAC has remained steadfast and unwavering in discharging its anti-corruption mission through law enforcement, prevention and community education,” Mr Liao said.
In 2020, the ICAC received 1,924 non-election related corruption complaints, representing a drop of 16 per cent when compared with 2019.
Mr Liao noted that the decrease of corruption complaints was due to a notable drop in that concerning the private sector, which was likely caused by a substantial decline in economic activities during the pandemic and the public’s preoccupation with other socio-economic issues.
Moreover, a total of 868 complaints alleging breaches of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance were received. Among them were 850 complaints concerning the District Council Election held in November 2019 while the rest were related to the LegCo Election originally scheduled for September last year.
Mr Liao noted that Hong Kong continued to have a low level of corruption. In the 2020 ICAC Annual Survey, 98.4 per cent of the respondents said they had not encountered corruption personally in the past 12 months.
In the Commissioner’s Review of the annual report, ICAC Commissioner Mr Simon Peh Yun-lu said ICAC had gone through ups and downs with the city in the past 46 years. The graft buster had shown its persistence in upholding the rule of law and maintaining Hong Kong as one of the cleanest cities in the world.
“Facing the roller coaster of changes in the past year, the ICAC remained persevered and carried on with its mission to combat corruption in both public and private sectors, promoting the values of rule of law and probity among different strata of the society and engaging the public to foster a clean society,” Mr Peh said.
The Commissioner noted that the ICAC had adopted flexible measures to ensure the efficacy of its work under the coronavirus pandemic.
“Despite the pandemic and the special work arrangements, the ICAC continues to take robust enforcement actions by pursuing each complaint and handling all investigations professionally and impartially,” he added.
The ICAC also made meticulous efforts in offering corruption prevention service. During the year, the ICAC completed 65 assignment reports and offered tailored corruption prevention advice on over 970 occasions to assist both public and private sectors to plug loopholes in their systems and procedures that might give rise to corrupt practices.
On the education front, the ICAC reached the community and disseminate integrity messages to members of the public by adopting a flexible and resilient approach. By combining face-to-face outreach with online activities amidst social distancing measures, the Commission organised over 700 online anti-corruption talks and training last year.
Noting that the LegCo Election and the Election Committee Subsector Election would be held in 2021, Mr Peh said the ICAC would go all out to ensure the integrity of the elections and enforce the Elections (Corrupt & Illegal Conduct) Ordinance professionally and effectively.
Meanwhile, in 2020 the ICAC continued to collaborate with its international anti-graft counterparts via online platforms. Apart from organising online capacity building programmes for various overseas anti-corruption agencies, the Commission also participated in international webinars to share its graft-fighting experience.
As an Executive Committee member and the Training Committee convenor of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), the ICAC proactively helped map out training initiatives for the IAACA and provided advisory services for its member organisations, Mr Peh noted.
After the first tripartite meeting with the heads of the Guangdong Provincial Commission of Supervision and the Commission Against Corruption of Macao held in May 2019, the ICAC maintained ongoing liaison with the two parties with a view to organising the second tripartite meeting in future.