ICAC makes corruption truly high risk with record conviction rate
2007-7-4
The ICAC had attained a record 88 per cent conviction rate last year, sending a strong deterrent to the unscrupulous and the corrupt.
Presenting the 2006 ICAC Annual Report at the Legislative Council today (Wednesday), Legislative Councillor and member of the Advisory Committee on Corruption Mr Chan Kam-lam disclosed that the ICAC had prosecuted 341 persons in 200 cases last year. The case-based conviction rate stood at 88 per cent.
The total number of corruption reports dropped nine per cent to 3,339 in 2006, of which eighty per cent were classified as pursuable.
Amongst the corruption reports, 61 per cent were related to private sector organisations, 32 per cent concerned government departments, and the remainder or seven per cent involved public bodies.
Of the private sector complaints, building management continued to top the list with 822 complaints. The finance and insurance industry and the catering and entertaining services registered the second and the third highest number of complaints at 166 and 137 respectively.
Mr Chan highlighted that amongst all corruption reports received in 2006, 73 per cent were non-anonymous, against 68 per cent in 1997. “This showed the public continued to place immense trust in the anti-corruption body.”
He also cited the recovery of $140 million worth of assets during the year from a retired policeman after 30 years of incessant efforts as a definite expression of the unremitting perseverance and professional dedication of ICAC officers.
The ICAC Annual Report meanwhile highlighted that corruption had become increasingly complex amid rapid technological advances and economic globalisation, creating huge workloads for the two specialist investigation groups - the Financial Investigation an d the Computer Forensics Sections.
In 2006, the Financial Investigation Section conducted investigations into 8,200 transactions worth $6.46 billion in sum. The Computer Forensics Section carried out 288 computer data analyses relating to a total of 145 operations.
On the prevention and education side, the ICAC had proactively worked with the Government on measures to safeguard the integrity of a number of Public Private Partnership schemes designed to provide public facilities.
Apart from 96 corruption prevention studies conducted for government departments and public bodies, the ICAC also provided them with timely corruption prevention advice on 348 occasions in connection with the formulation of new legislation, policies or pr ocedures.
The Annual Report also noted that ICAC and the Civil Service Bureau had invited all government bureaux and departments to nominate an Ethics Officer at senior directorate level to oversee integrity management and promotion among staff.
As the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement fosters ever growing cross-boundary economic activities, the ICAC has intensified promotion of ethical management amongst related professions including accountants and chartered secreta ries.
To face up to future challenges, the ICAC would augment the all-round professional capability of its investigators by intensifying training in financial investigation and computer forensics.
The Commission in parallel provided its staff with a full range of professional training, including witness protection, use of firearms, cyber crime detection, corporate governance, internal controls and risk management.
Overseas experts were engaged to provide specialised training on witness protection techniques and share their experience in managing witness protection programmes.
On the international front, the Annual Report said the United Nations Convention Against Corruption marked a milestone in the global campaign against corruption and engendered new obligations and challenges for the Commission.
The Convention came into force in the Mainland in February last year and was extended to Hong Kong and the ICAC was tasked to assist other state parties in their capacity building.
Looking ahead, the overall efficiency of the ICAC in battling the increasingly sophisticated corruption and meeting future challenges would be given a boost when the ICAC Headquarters Building in North Point, equipped with more advanced facilities and inf ormation technology support, opens in December 2007.
Presenting the 2006 ICAC Annual Report at the Legislative Council today (Wednesday), Legislative Councillor and member of the Advisory Committee on Corruption Mr Chan Kam-lam disclosed that the ICAC had prosecuted 341 persons in 200 cases last year. The case-based conviction rate stood at 88 per cent.
The total number of corruption reports dropped nine per cent to 3,339 in 2006, of which eighty per cent were classified as pursuable.
Amongst the corruption reports, 61 per cent were related to private sector organisations, 32 per cent concerned government departments, and the remainder or seven per cent involved public bodies.
Of the private sector complaints, building management continued to top the list with 822 complaints. The finance and insurance industry and the catering and entertaining services registered the second and the third highest number of complaints at 166 and 137 respectively.
Mr Chan highlighted that amongst all corruption reports received in 2006, 73 per cent were non-anonymous, against 68 per cent in 1997. “This showed the public continued to place immense trust in the anti-corruption body.”
He also cited the recovery of $140 million worth of assets during the year from a retired policeman after 30 years of incessant efforts as a definite expression of the unremitting perseverance and professional dedication of ICAC officers.
The ICAC Annual Report meanwhile highlighted that corruption had become increasingly complex amid rapid technological advances and economic globalisation, creating huge workloads for the two specialist investigation groups - the Financial Investigation an d the Computer Forensics Sections.
In 2006, the Financial Investigation Section conducted investigations into 8,200 transactions worth $6.46 billion in sum. The Computer Forensics Section carried out 288 computer data analyses relating to a total of 145 operations.
On the prevention and education side, the ICAC had proactively worked with the Government on measures to safeguard the integrity of a number of Public Private Partnership schemes designed to provide public facilities.
Apart from 96 corruption prevention studies conducted for government departments and public bodies, the ICAC also provided them with timely corruption prevention advice on 348 occasions in connection with the formulation of new legislation, policies or pr ocedures.
The Annual Report also noted that ICAC and the Civil Service Bureau had invited all government bureaux and departments to nominate an Ethics Officer at senior directorate level to oversee integrity management and promotion among staff.
As the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement fosters ever growing cross-boundary economic activities, the ICAC has intensified promotion of ethical management amongst related professions including accountants and chartered secreta ries.
To face up to future challenges, the ICAC would augment the all-round professional capability of its investigators by intensifying training in financial investigation and computer forensics.
The Commission in parallel provided its staff with a full range of professional training, including witness protection, use of firearms, cyber crime detection, corporate governance, internal controls and risk management.
Overseas experts were engaged to provide specialised training on witness protection techniques and share their experience in managing witness protection programmes.
On the international front, the Annual Report said the United Nations Convention Against Corruption marked a milestone in the global campaign against corruption and engendered new obligations and challenges for the Commission.
The Convention came into force in the Mainland in February last year and was extended to Hong Kong and the ICAC was tasked to assist other state parties in their capacity building.
Looking ahead, the overall efficiency of the ICAC in battling the increasingly sophisticated corruption and meeting future challenges would be given a boost when the ICAC Headquarters Building in North Point, equipped with more advanced facilities and inf ormation technology support, opens in December 2007.