Thirty graft-fighters and law enforcement officers from 21 local, Mainland, Macao and overseas agencies today (November 24) completed a four-week ICAC command course aimed at gearing them up for diverse challenges ahead.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the ICAC Chief Investigators’ Command Course No. 37, ICAC Commissioner Mr Simon Peh Yun-lu said the course, themed “Taking a leap from management to leadership”, highlighted the importance of making constant “self-reflection” in the learning process.

“Through discussion and interaction, all of you were facilitated to learn, share and most importantly, reflect on your management and leadership attributes. Credits should go to the diversity of your cultures and backgrounds which allow you to embrace new ideas,” Mr Peh told the participants.

Mr Peh also noted that as seasoned law enforcements officers, the participants recognised the importance of embracing changes and adopting best practices in pursuit of service excellence.

“The course is therefore designed to broaden your horizons, challenge your assumptions and help you devise a roadmap to become more effective managers and leaders,” he added.

This year’s course featured presentations by experienced trainers and prominent speakers from the legal, business and public sectors, as well as academia. Senior ICAC officers also shared their experience through case studies of major ICAC investigations.

Speakers for the course included Mr Justice Kevin Zervos, Judge of the High Court; Mr Ronny Tong Ka-wah, Non-official Member of the Executive Council; Mr Dick Lee Ming-kwai, former Commissioner of Police; Mr Oscar Kwok Yam-shu, Director of Management Services of the Hong Kong Police Force; Ms Quince Chong Wai-yan, Chief Corporate Development Officer of CLP Power Hong Kong Limited and Member of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations (CACCR), ICAC; Ms Winnie Tam Wan-chi, Member of the Advisory Committee on Corruption, ICAC, and former Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association; Professor Simon Young Ngai-man, Professor and Associate Dean, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong; Professor Anthony Fung Ying-him, Professor of the School of Journalism and Communication of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Member of the CACCR; and Mr Ricky Yu Wai-yip, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Light Be (Social Realty) Company Limited.

The course also featured a one-week study tour to various authorities in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.

Apart from nine ICAC officers, course participants also included senior officials from the Macao Commission Against Corruption, the People’s Procuratorate of Guangdong Province and the People’s Procuratorate of Jiangsu Province.

Also attending the course were senior officers from 11 overseas agencies, including the Australian Federal Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Independent Commission Against Corruption of Fiji, the Central Bureau of Investigation of India, the Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Serious Fraud Office of New Zealand, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau of Singapore, the Singapore Police Force, the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom and the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States.

Other participants were officers of local agencies, including the Correctional Services Department, the Customs and Excise Department, the Fire Services Department, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Immigration Department and the Securities and Futures Commission.

Since the 1970s, the ICAC Chief Investigators’ Command Course has been a flagship training programme, coaching a total of nearly 800 local and overseas participants.