ICAC Commissioner Raymond Wong Hung-chiu urges the public to abide by the laws and the rules when participating in the coming Legislative Council election, stressing that a clean and fair election culture and system is the cornerstone of Hong Kong's const itutional development.

Three persons, including an officer of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), were today (Thursday) charged by the ICAC for alleged fraud in relation to the awarding of over $740,000 worth of job orders for RTHK projects.

A businessman today (Wednesday) admitted at Eastern Magistracy his role in a fraudulent scheme to deceive $700,000 in insurance claim by falsely claiming that a woman had died in a thunderbolt in the Mainland, and submitting false documents to support the bogus death claim.

The ICAC has arrested nine persons, including two senior executives of a publicly listed company, for alleged corruption in relation to the placement and purchase of the listed company's shares.

The effectiveness of international cooperation in battling corruption hinged on inter-agency exchanges, not only in law enforcement but also in experience sharing and staff training, said Mr Raymond Wong Hung-chiu, Commissioner of the ICAC, at the China & ASEAN Countries Attorneys-General Conference held in Kunming in the Mainland.

An Assistant Officer II of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) was charged by the ICAC and brought to Eastern Magistracy this (Thursday) afternoon for allegedly bringing unauthorised articles, including about 1,000 tablets of soft drugs, into Stanl ey Prison for bribes.

The ICAC has continued to vigilantly pursue a proactive strategy in all prongs of its anti corruption services to the community, while the graft situation remained under control in the past year, the 2003 ICAC Annual Report affirms.

Two former engineers and a foreman of an engineering company were today (Saturday) sentenced to jail terms up to three years and eight months at District Court for their involvement in a $51 million fraud.

A former senior manager of a bank, charged by the ICAC, was today (Friday) sentenced to one year's imprisonment at the Court of First Instance for accepting US$10,000 from a money changer for showing favour to the latter's dealings with the bank.

Three staff members of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), charged by the ICAC for allegedly making false claims of entertainment and taxi expenses totalling over $8,000 from HKTB, appeared at Eastern Magistracy today (Friday).