Standup remarks by ICAC Commissioner, Raymond Wong Hung-chiu to the press after the Panel on Security of Legislative Council
2005-7-22
The following are remarks by ICAC Commissioner, Raymond Wong Hung-chiu to the press after the Panel on Security of Legislative Council today (July 22):
“At the meeting just now, we talked about legal professional privilege. I have to stress that as a law enforcement agency, the ICAC has every respect for legal professional privilege as ever.
There is no question of the ICAC regularly taping conversations between lawyers and their clients as alleged by individual legislators.
As the Department of Justice has decided to seek a judicial review of the case (that a judge ordered a permanent stay of proceedings), the ICAC cannot comment further.”
On whether staff morale is affected by recent court rulings in regard to ICAC’s covert surveillance operations, Mr Wong said:
“All ICAC staff is professional. Although their emotions may be affected to a certain extent by the negative publicity generated from these cases, I can assure you and members of the public that they will do their job professionally.”
Asked by reporters about the case against a legislator, Mr Wong said:
“It is the ICAC’s long-standing policy not to comment on individual cases. As a professional law enforcement agency, the ICAC investigates all corruption cases without fear or favour and in strict accordance with the laws.
Each and every one of our investigations is submitted to the independent Operations Review Committee for scrutiny.
We will follow up on any new information that is useful to any of our investigations.
We do not have double standards in conducting our investigations. There is only one standard, that is the standard set by the law.”
“At the meeting just now, we talked about legal professional privilege. I have to stress that as a law enforcement agency, the ICAC has every respect for legal professional privilege as ever.
There is no question of the ICAC regularly taping conversations between lawyers and their clients as alleged by individual legislators.
As the Department of Justice has decided to seek a judicial review of the case (that a judge ordered a permanent stay of proceedings), the ICAC cannot comment further.”
On whether staff morale is affected by recent court rulings in regard to ICAC’s covert surveillance operations, Mr Wong said:
“All ICAC staff is professional. Although their emotions may be affected to a certain extent by the negative publicity generated from these cases, I can assure you and members of the public that they will do their job professionally.”
Asked by reporters about the case against a legislator, Mr Wong said:
“It is the ICAC’s long-standing policy not to comment on individual cases. As a professional law enforcement agency, the ICAC investigates all corruption cases without fear or favour and in strict accordance with the laws.
Each and every one of our investigations is submitted to the independent Operations Review Committee for scrutiny.
We will follow up on any new information that is useful to any of our investigations.
We do not have double standards in conducting our investigations. There is only one standard, that is the standard set by the law.”