The four independent advisory committees, responsible for monitoring the work of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in law enforcement, corruption prevention, community education and international cooperation, affirmed the effectiveness of the Commission’s work in the past year and commended the anti-graft agency for its professionalism and dedication in upholding the core value of integrity and the rule of law even in time of difficulties and challenges.

The four advisory committees, namely Advisory Committee on Corruption (ACOC), Operations Review Committee (ORC), Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee (CPAC) and Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations (CACCR), today (July 5) issued their Annual Report 2022 and to recount their work in the past year to the Chief Executive. ACOC Chairman Liao Cheung-kong said in the report that despite the coronavirus pandemic challenges in 2022, the ICAC remained relentless and committed to achieving its anti-corruption mission. The ACOC would continue to ensure the Commission’s effectiveness in discharging its anti-corruption duties.

In 2022, the ICAC received a total of 1,835 corruption complaints, representing a 19 per cent decrease when compared to 2021. The ACOC noted that the decrease in corruption complaints was mainly due to a marked slowdown in economic activities amid the fifth wave of the pandemic in early 2022.

“The ACOC supports ICAC’s resumption of overseas visits in late 2022 for face-to-face exchanges with overseas anti-corruption agencies and international organisations to strengthen anti-graft collaboration with the international community and impress them on Hong Kong’s strong rule of law and stable social environment. The Committee is also pleased to note that the ICAC maintained close liaison with the National Commission of Supervision and anti-corruption agencies in the Greater Bay Area in accordance with the national development and anti-graft policy, and strived to foster anti-corruption collaboration in the Greater Bay Area,” Mr Liao said.

The ACOC also endorsed the ICAC’s initiatives to strengthen publicity work to enlist the support of the general public and raise the society’s awareness to the anti-corruption cause. Under the leadership of the new Commissioner, the ICAC stepped up its media publicity and upgraded its “All for Integrity” activity page to “Hong Kong ICAC” official fanpage on Facebook. A new “Hong Kong ICAC” Instagram official account was also created to share more frequently with members of the public the latest work of the ICAC, Mr Liao noted.

On the law enforcement front, Bernard Charnwut Chan, Chairman of ORC which oversees all ICAC investigations, noted in the annual report that the Committee received reports on 26 completed major investigations during the year, and also considered and advised on 1,638 completed minor investigations and 393 non-pursuable complaints of corruption. The Committee noted that public support for the ICAC’s anti-corruption work remained strong with 71% of the complainants identified themselves when reporting corruption.

“Like a tumor in society, corruption is a crime which is highly insidious and difficult to detect. The deteriorating coronavirus situation since 2020 had inevitably affected the investigative work of the Operations Department, including face-to-face interviews with witnesses, arrest operations and overseas enquiries. The Committee appreciates that the Operations Department pursued each and every corruption case vigilantly with perseverance,” Mr Chan said.

Mr Chan noted that during a large-scale operation last year, the ICAC successfully neutralised a corruption syndicate in connection with property management and building maintenance, demonstrating the unwavering determination of the Commission in protecting the interests of the public. The ORC was also pleased to note that the ICAC’s unrelenting efforts to tackle corruption in the construction industry had served as a strong deterrent to the industry.

Mr Chan also remarked that a clean and impartial civil service laid a solid foundation for maintaining public confidence in the Government as well as the stability and prosperity of a society. The Committee was pleased to note that the vast majority of government servants lived up to a high standard of integrity and conduct. The Committee was confident that the ICAC would continue to investigate all reports of corruption in strict accordance with the law, and would forge continuous collaboration with government bureaux and departments to ensure the integrity and probity required of government servants. Meanwhile, the Committee also recognised the perseverance and hard work of the ICAC in safeguarding clean elections, and firmly believed that the ICAC would make continuous unswerving efforts to ensure future public elections would be conducted in a fair, open and just manner.

On the prevention front, CPAC Chairman Adrian Wong Koon-man said last year the Committee considered 68 assignment reports presented by the Corruption Prevention Department (CPD) regarding the work of government bureaux/departments (B/Ds) and public bodies, while the CPD had also provided advice to them on 588 occasions. In addition, corruption prevention advice was offered to private organisations on 1,022 occasions upon requests. Meanwhile, the Corruption Prevention Advisory Service also handled 711 public enquiries through its hotline service. The Commission conducted 187 corruption prevention seminars, reaching an audience totalling over 13,400 persons.

Mr Wong said the CPAC affirmed the outstanding work done by the CPD in the past year. “The Committee in particular wishes to commend CPD for promoting to the B/Ds, PBs and private organisations the digitalisation of their work processes and effective adoption of technology which can strengthen their corruption prevention capabilities. The wide range of corruption prevention services offered to the public and private sectors through the CPD’s prevention at source and partnership strategies also help maintain Hong Kong as an economy of integrity and competitiveness,” Mr Wong said.

On the education front, Professor Simon Ho Shun-man, Chairman of CACCR which monitors and advises the work of the Community Relations Department (CRD), noted in the report that the Committee was pleased to see the ICAC had strengthened its education and publicity work in the second half of 2022 when the pandemic situation gradually eased, telling good stories of Hong Kong to underscore the national development and the governance philosophy of the new-term HKSAR Government.

Mr Ho highlighted a number of remarkable achievements of CRD during the year, including programmes for teenagers – the iPLUS Youth Development Programme, the iJunior Programme for Primary Schools, The Little Coffee Bean Mission animation training package; the “all-embracing” education and publicity strategy for promoting Clean Elections; other events for various sectors and public engagement such as integrity training for civil servants, the Integrity Promotion Campaign for Public Bodies, business ethics promotion, Ethics Promotion Programme for Banking Industry, “Journey for Integrity” activities, ICAC Club Mentoring Programme, corruption prevention and education in building management, etc. Such activities were to enhance the integrity culture in different sectors and demonstrate the Commission’s efforts in promoting the good stories of Hong Kong.

Looking ahead, Mr Ho said the coming five years would be important for Hong Kong to achieve breakthroughs and innovations. The CACCR would continue to work closely with the ICAC on a new chapter in integrity promotion.

Meanwhile, Mr Liao today also tabled the latest ICAC annual report at the Legislative Council, which was the first ICAC Annual Report presented to the Chief Executive by Woo Ying-ming as ICAC Commissioner. In the Commissioner’s Review of the annual report, Mr Woo said he was deeply honoured for the trust the Central People’s Government and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government placed in him for assuming the important post as ICAC Commissioner.

Mr Woo noted that 2022 marked the year for celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the establishment of the new-term Government of HKSAR. President Xi Jinping laid down his expectation for the HKSAR Government to further improve its governance and safeguard harmony and stability. “President Xi gave directive in the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China that we should fight corruption with zero tolerance in order to create a probity environment, so that people do not dare to, are unable to and have no desire to commit corruption. The ICAC will surely carry out its duties in accordance with the policies and development of our country with a view to safeguarding Hong Kong as a world-acclaimed clean city. We shall provide our solid support by upholding our integrity and rule of law so as to facilitate Hong Kong’s economic development and advancement from stability to prosperity,” Mr Woo said.

Mr Woo also added that in line with the national development blueprint on anti-corruption for the international community and Belt and Road countries, and also for the purpose of reflecting the true picture of the probity situation in Hong Kong, the ICAC was planning to set up the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption by promoting anti-corruption work of our country and Hong Kong in a more proactive and effective approach. At the same time, as the ICAC was approaching its 50th anniversary in 2024, a host of activities, including an international symposium, Open Day, TV drama series, and public engagement activities, etc. were being planned to showcase to the local and international communities the Commission’s strong determination to eradicate corruption and the achievements of Hong Kong’s anti-graft journey.

“With a growing expectation of good public governance and an effective and clean Government, we must also set higher standards for our work. As we embark on a journey in pursuit of breakthroughs and innovations in the core areas of our work including law enforcement, corruption prevention, community education, and international cooperation, I look forward to leading this excellent team of ICAC officers in scaling new heights and contributing further to building a probity environment in Hong Kong,” Mr Woo said.