Strong public support and political will keys to success in fight against corruption, says ICAC Commissioner
2003-5-31
Strong public support and political will from the top were the keys to success in the battle against graft, said ICAC Commissioner Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong during an international anti-corruption conference held in Seoul, Korea, this week.
“To achieve real success in the fight against corruption, we must continuously keep up the public’s vigilance and involve them as our partners in the anti-corruption campaign,” Mr Lee told a plenary session of the 11th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC).
From Hong Kong’s experience, in order to gain public support, anti-graft agencies must prove themselves to be highly effective, transparent as well as accountable to the public, he noted.
In recent years, the Commission has maintained an average conviction rate of 80 per cent for its cases while annual surveys showed that over 98 per cent of respondents support the work of the ICAC.
Mr Lee also pointed out that various aspects of ICAC’s work had been subject to stringent checks and balances through the close supervision of various independent committees comprising respectable citizens.
Over the years, the Commission has made conscious efforts to increase the public’s understanding of its work so that they would be more able to appreciate the significance of anti-corruption work.
Mr Lee also noted that the recent adoption of the ADB-OECD Anti-corruption Action Plan for Asia Pacific further demonstrated the Hong Kong Government’s long-term commitment to the fight against corruption.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner also stressed that building a clean police force was instrumental in maintaining a clean society.
Sharing Hong Kong’s experience in building a clean police force at an IACC workshop, Mr Lee said police corruption in Hong Kong was kept effectively under control through the concerted efforts of the Police Force and the ICAC.
He revealed that the Police management, adopting a zero tolerance policy towards corruption, had proactively referred to the ICAC over 130 corruption reports concerning its staff in the past three years.
At the IACC, Mr Lee also introduced to delegates Hong Kong’s three-pronged strategy of law enforcement, corruption prevention and education, which had been hailed as one of the world’s successful anti-corruption models.
Following the conclusion of IACC, the ICAC Commissioner, together with two other senior Commission officials, also participated in the Global Forum III on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) delegation between May 29-31.
At the Global Forum, Secretary General of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Donald Johnston noted that a number of countries had established anti-corruption agencies, based on “the Hong Kong model” of an Independent Commission Against Corruption, which was proving that such an institutional approach could be effective.
Meanwhile, ICAC Commissioner, in addressing a Roundtable at the Forum, noted that there was a clear consensus at the two conferences that corruption had become increasingly transnational and complex that warranted firm and concerted actions from all juri sdictions.
The two international anti-corruption conferences held in Seoul between May 25 and 31 were attended by more than 900 government ministers, public officials, law enforcers and anti-corruption experts from over 100 jurisdictions.
At the Art for Transparency exhibition of the IACC conference, a booth was set up for the display of Hong Kong ICAC’s educational products and publicity materials, including TV advertisements, posters and corruption prevention guidebooks.
ICAC representatives attending both conferences included Director of Investigation, Mr Gilbert Chan Tak-shing; and Assistant Director of Community Relations, Ms Julie Mu Fee-man. Two other ICAC officials, Assistant Director of Operations, Mr Kenny Tso Wa i-yan; and Assistant Director of Corruption Prevention, Mrs Jean Au Yeung Lui Miu-kwan participated in the IACC only.
Mr Chan, Ms Mu and Mr Tso had spoken as panellists at IACC workshops on mutual legal assistance; cleaning up police corruption as well as corruption and human trafficking respectively.
During their stay in Seoul, the Commissioner and other ICAC officials had paid a visit to the Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption. An invitation had been extended to its Chairman Mr Nam-joo Lee to visit Hong Kong’s ICAC.
ICAC Commissioner and other ICAC delegates will return to Hong Kong shortly after the conclusion of the Global Forum.
“To achieve real success in the fight against corruption, we must continuously keep up the public’s vigilance and involve them as our partners in the anti-corruption campaign,” Mr Lee told a plenary session of the 11th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC).
From Hong Kong’s experience, in order to gain public support, anti-graft agencies must prove themselves to be highly effective, transparent as well as accountable to the public, he noted.
In recent years, the Commission has maintained an average conviction rate of 80 per cent for its cases while annual surveys showed that over 98 per cent of respondents support the work of the ICAC.
Mr Lee also pointed out that various aspects of ICAC’s work had been subject to stringent checks and balances through the close supervision of various independent committees comprising respectable citizens.
Over the years, the Commission has made conscious efforts to increase the public’s understanding of its work so that they would be more able to appreciate the significance of anti-corruption work.
Mr Lee also noted that the recent adoption of the ADB-OECD Anti-corruption Action Plan for Asia Pacific further demonstrated the Hong Kong Government’s long-term commitment to the fight against corruption.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner also stressed that building a clean police force was instrumental in maintaining a clean society.
Sharing Hong Kong’s experience in building a clean police force at an IACC workshop, Mr Lee said police corruption in Hong Kong was kept effectively under control through the concerted efforts of the Police Force and the ICAC.
He revealed that the Police management, adopting a zero tolerance policy towards corruption, had proactively referred to the ICAC over 130 corruption reports concerning its staff in the past three years.
At the IACC, Mr Lee also introduced to delegates Hong Kong’s three-pronged strategy of law enforcement, corruption prevention and education, which had been hailed as one of the world’s successful anti-corruption models.
Following the conclusion of IACC, the ICAC Commissioner, together with two other senior Commission officials, also participated in the Global Forum III on Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) delegation between May 29-31.
At the Global Forum, Secretary General of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Donald Johnston noted that a number of countries had established anti-corruption agencies, based on “the Hong Kong model” of an Independent Commission Against Corruption, which was proving that such an institutional approach could be effective.
Meanwhile, ICAC Commissioner, in addressing a Roundtable at the Forum, noted that there was a clear consensus at the two conferences that corruption had become increasingly transnational and complex that warranted firm and concerted actions from all juri sdictions.
The two international anti-corruption conferences held in Seoul between May 25 and 31 were attended by more than 900 government ministers, public officials, law enforcers and anti-corruption experts from over 100 jurisdictions.
At the Art for Transparency exhibition of the IACC conference, a booth was set up for the display of Hong Kong ICAC’s educational products and publicity materials, including TV advertisements, posters and corruption prevention guidebooks.
ICAC representatives attending both conferences included Director of Investigation, Mr Gilbert Chan Tak-shing; and Assistant Director of Community Relations, Ms Julie Mu Fee-man. Two other ICAC officials, Assistant Director of Operations, Mr Kenny Tso Wa i-yan; and Assistant Director of Corruption Prevention, Mrs Jean Au Yeung Lui Miu-kwan participated in the IACC only.
Mr Chan, Ms Mu and Mr Tso had spoken as panellists at IACC workshops on mutual legal assistance; cleaning up police corruption as well as corruption and human trafficking respectively.
During their stay in Seoul, the Commissioner and other ICAC officials had paid a visit to the Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption. An invitation had been extended to its Chairman Mr Nam-joo Lee to visit Hong Kong’s ICAC.
ICAC Commissioner and other ICAC delegates will return to Hong Kong shortly after the conclusion of the Global Forum.