The ICAC has arrested five persons, including a Land Inspector I of the Lands Department (LD), for their alleged roles in attempting to deceive ex-gratia compensation in relation to a land resumption exercise in the New Territories.

Those arrested in an operation codenamed " Crescent Moon ", which commenced last Friday, also included a fish pond proprietor, his wife and two civilians.

The ICAC operation arose from a corruption complaint, alleging that a fish pond proprietor might have offered advantages to some LD officers in return for confidential information about a land resumption exercise.

Inquiries revealed that in December 2001, LD commenced a land resumption exercise near Shenzhen River for developing main drainage channels for Fanling and Sheung Shui.

The owners of the affected land and relevant operators were entitled to apply for ex-gratia compensation from LD.

It was alleged that the arrested fish pond proprietor, falsely claiming to be the operator of five fish ponds on the affected land, tried to apply for ex-gratia compensation from LD.

The proprietor was alleged to have conspired with his wife and two civilians to defraud LD by submitting forged documents purporting to prove his ownership of the fish ponds and that the ponds were in operation.

Inquiries revealed that the fish ponds were in fact deserted.

The arrested Land Inspector was alleged to have assisted in making false claim of ex-gratia compensation in relation to the fish ponds concerned.

LD has rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.

The arrestees have been released on ICAC bail. Inquiries into the corruption allegation are continuing.