A businessman and two former employees of a security company were today (Monday) sent to jail for a corruption facilitated smuggling scam involving $2.7 million worth of mobile phones and phone batteries.

More than 60 parenting activities jointly organised by the Independent Commission Against Corruption and various community groups have drawn the enthusiastic participation of over 160,000 people since May last year.

A former bank manager, charged by the ICAC for allegedly accepting a $500,000 loan in relation to the granting of credit facilities to a trading company, appeared in Eastern Court today (Friday).

The ICAC further charged four people allegedly involved in a spate of "staged" traffic accidents intended to swindle insurance claims.

Two former employees of a security company today (Wednesday) admitted that they had accepted bribes to help smuggle mobile phones and phone batteries worth $2.7 million to the Mainland, using the company's armoured vehicles for delivery.

A supplier was today (Wednesday) sentenced to nine months' imprisonment at District Court for offering over $270,000 in bribes to secure purchase orders for $6 million worth of door locks to be installed at Housing Authority (HA) projects.

The ICAC further charged three Mainland citizens arrested in its investigation into a suspected bribery facilitated visa extension scam following the prosecution of an immigration officer and a businessman for corruption and conspiracy offences last Frida y.

ICAC Commissioner, Mr Alan Lai Nin, today (Sunday) told the first group of visitors to the ICAC Open Day 2002 that the occasion was a treasured opportunity for the anti-corruption body to reach out to the public.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will restructure its investigation teams and make wider use of information technology (IT) to cope with a growing investigation caseload and increasing complexity of corruption cases.

An Immigration Officer and a businessman, arrested by the ICAC on Wednesday (January 16) in relation to suspected bribery over the granting of visa extension to overseas workers, were charged by the ICAC and brought to Eastern Court this (Friday) afternoo n.