The following is a statement issued on behalf of Mr Raymond Wong Hung-chiu:

Following is the transcript (English portion) of the stand-up of the newly-appointed Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption at the Central Government Offices today (Oct 31):

ICAC Commissioner Raymond Wong Hung-chiu in his web column says during his three-year service with the Commission, he is most impressed by the devotion and perseverance of the colleagues in discharging their anti-corruption duties.

A vegetable supplier, charged by the ICAC, was today (Thursday) sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment at Eastern Magistracy for offering two joint-venture agreements to a regional manager of a chain supermarket in relation to the supply of onions to the su permarket.

A Police Detective Sergeant was today (Tuesday) charged by the ICAC for allegedly accepting and soliciting bribes totalling $80,000 and hostess escort services from a pornographic disc shop operator for offering him protection and information on police ra ids.

Seven persons, including a former executive director and a former financial controller of Shanghai Land Holdings Limited (Shanghai Land), appeared in Eastern Magistracy today (Tuesday) after being charged by the ICAC for alleged conspiracy to defraud in r elation to the acquisition of imGO Limited (imGO) (later renamed as Shanghai Land).

Effective law enforcement and international cooperation were essential in the fight against corruption, which had become intermingled with serious and organised crimes and increasingly transnational in nature, said ICAC Commissioner, Mr Raymond Wong Hung- chiu.

Seven persons, including a former executive director and a former financial controller of Shanghai Land Holdings Limited (Shanghai Land), have been arrested and charged by the ICAC for alleged conspiracy to defraud in relation to the acquisition of imGO L imited (imGO) (later renamed as Shanghai Land).

A former Chief Manager of publicly listed The Wharf (Holdings) Limited (Wharf), charged by the ICAC, was today (Friday) convicted at the District Court of conspiracy to accept about $3 million in bribes in relation to Wharf's construction and renovation c ontracts.

A Taiwanese merchant was today (Friday) sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment at the District Court for deceiving a total of $200,000 from a Mainlander on the pretext of using the monies to bribe law enforcement officers for releasing him from legal custod y.