ICAC continues to keep graft in check
2018-7-4
The past year saw Hong Kong continued to be subject to a very low level of corruption and the society consistently demonstrated zero tolerance to graft, according to the 2017 ICAC Annual Report.
Tabling the report at the Legislative Council (Legco) today (July 4), Mr Abraham Shek Lai-him, a member of both the Legco and the Advisory Committee on Corruption, said corruption was well under control under the ICAC’s holistic approach combining vigorous enforcement actions, systemic prevention to eliminate corruption loopholes as well as engaging the community in the graft fight.
Mr Shek noted that probity was among the key pillars that laid the foundation of Hong Kong, adding that in recent years, the city was persistently rated in international surveys as one of the cleanest in the world.
“Every recognition Hong Kong received is a constant reminder to us of the importance of continued effort in fostering a probity culture,” said Mr Shek.
The ICAC received 2,835 non-election related corruption complaints in 2017, a slight decrease of 2% when compared to that of 2016. The number of pursuable complaints stood at 2,129, which saw a 7% increase when compared to the figure of 2016. Of these corruption complaints, 66% were targeted at the private sector, 27% were related to government departments and 7% involved public bodies.
Moreover, a total of 500 complaints alleging breaches of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance were received. Of these complaints, 47% were related to the 2016 Legco Election, 46% were related to the 2016 Election Committee Subsector Elections, and 5% were related to the 2017 Chief Executive Election.
According to the 2017 ICAC Annual Survey conducted by an independent research organisation, 99.1% of respondents said they had not personally encountered corruption in the past 12 months, showing a very low level of corruption in Hong Kong.
In the Commissioner’s Review of the annual report, ICAC Commissioner Mr Simon Peh Yun-lu attributed the very low level of corruption to the hard work of all officers.
Noting that building management continued to attract the largest number of complaints in the private sector in 2017, Mr Peh said the ICAC implemented a two-pronged strategy consisting of the traditional approach of investigation with a view to prosecution, and where appropriate, timely interventions to deter possible corrupt and bid-rigging activities at an early stage.
On the preventive front, Mr Peh noted that the public had a high and legitimate expectation on the integrity and probity of civil servants and public officers.
Mr Peh said the ICAC’s Corruption Prevention Department (CPD) assisted government departments and public bodies in enhancing internal control through improving their systems, practices and procedures with a view to plugging loopholes that might give rise to corrupt practices, dereliction of duty and abuse of power. During the year, CPD completed 63 assignment studies and provided timely advice to government departments and public bodies on 490 occasions.
The ICAC also stepped up efforts in advocating clean governance and ethical leadership, including briefings for officials appointed under the Political Appointment System, heads of departments and senior civil servants, Mr Peh said.
In the private sector, a conference on Business Ethics for Listed Companies was held in September 2017, concluding a three-year ethics promotion programme. Moreover, CPD would continue to assist listed companies and prospective listing applicants in adopting a structured approach to corruption risk management with the aid of a tailor-made anti-corruption guide and a new training package illustrating common ethical risks.
On the education front, Mr Peh said the Community Relations Department (CRD) left no stone unturned in enlisting members of the public to promote the core values of integrity. In 2017, the CRD continued to do so under the territory-wide “All for Integrity” education and publicity programme and hosted an ICAC Open Day at the ICAC Building in North Point.
To foster a deep-rooted culture of probity in Hong Kong, the ICAC Club, a voluntary service group engaging civic participation in anti-corruption activities, was set up in 1997. In the past 20 years, members of the ICAC Club had spent more than 60,000 hours on promoting integrity messages in the community. A Youth Chapter of the ICAC Club was launched to tap on young people’s creativity and vitality in promoting integrity.
Mr Peh noted that under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), Hong Kong was obligated to assist other States Parties in developing and implementing corruption prevention measures.
In May 2017, the ICAC held an international conference to share with participants knowledge and experience in money laundering investigation and asset recovery cloaking techniques and other pertinent issues.
As the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative unfolded, the ICAC set up a dedicated unit to provide training services to anti-corruption agencies in the B&R countries within the framework of the UNCAC, as well as corruption prevention advisory services to Hong Kong business operators who were looking for business opportunities in those countries.
Helping UNCAC signatories in their fight against corruption would not only enable Hong Kong to fulfil its international obligation under the convention, but would also help these countries build a level playing field for business, which would benefit investors and further enhance Hong Kong’s reputation in the international anti-corruption community, Mr Peh added.
Tabling the report at the Legislative Council (Legco) today (July 4), Mr Abraham Shek Lai-him, a member of both the Legco and the Advisory Committee on Corruption, said corruption was well under control under the ICAC’s holistic approach combining vigorous enforcement actions, systemic prevention to eliminate corruption loopholes as well as engaging the community in the graft fight.
Mr Shek noted that probity was among the key pillars that laid the foundation of Hong Kong, adding that in recent years, the city was persistently rated in international surveys as one of the cleanest in the world.
“Every recognition Hong Kong received is a constant reminder to us of the importance of continued effort in fostering a probity culture,” said Mr Shek.
The ICAC received 2,835 non-election related corruption complaints in 2017, a slight decrease of 2% when compared to that of 2016. The number of pursuable complaints stood at 2,129, which saw a 7% increase when compared to the figure of 2016. Of these corruption complaints, 66% were targeted at the private sector, 27% were related to government departments and 7% involved public bodies.
Moreover, a total of 500 complaints alleging breaches of the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance were received. Of these complaints, 47% were related to the 2016 Legco Election, 46% were related to the 2016 Election Committee Subsector Elections, and 5% were related to the 2017 Chief Executive Election.
According to the 2017 ICAC Annual Survey conducted by an independent research organisation, 99.1% of respondents said they had not personally encountered corruption in the past 12 months, showing a very low level of corruption in Hong Kong.
In the Commissioner’s Review of the annual report, ICAC Commissioner Mr Simon Peh Yun-lu attributed the very low level of corruption to the hard work of all officers.
Noting that building management continued to attract the largest number of complaints in the private sector in 2017, Mr Peh said the ICAC implemented a two-pronged strategy consisting of the traditional approach of investigation with a view to prosecution, and where appropriate, timely interventions to deter possible corrupt and bid-rigging activities at an early stage.
On the preventive front, Mr Peh noted that the public had a high and legitimate expectation on the integrity and probity of civil servants and public officers.
Mr Peh said the ICAC’s Corruption Prevention Department (CPD) assisted government departments and public bodies in enhancing internal control through improving their systems, practices and procedures with a view to plugging loopholes that might give rise to corrupt practices, dereliction of duty and abuse of power. During the year, CPD completed 63 assignment studies and provided timely advice to government departments and public bodies on 490 occasions.
The ICAC also stepped up efforts in advocating clean governance and ethical leadership, including briefings for officials appointed under the Political Appointment System, heads of departments and senior civil servants, Mr Peh said.
In the private sector, a conference on Business Ethics for Listed Companies was held in September 2017, concluding a three-year ethics promotion programme. Moreover, CPD would continue to assist listed companies and prospective listing applicants in adopting a structured approach to corruption risk management with the aid of a tailor-made anti-corruption guide and a new training package illustrating common ethical risks.
On the education front, Mr Peh said the Community Relations Department (CRD) left no stone unturned in enlisting members of the public to promote the core values of integrity. In 2017, the CRD continued to do so under the territory-wide “All for Integrity” education and publicity programme and hosted an ICAC Open Day at the ICAC Building in North Point.
To foster a deep-rooted culture of probity in Hong Kong, the ICAC Club, a voluntary service group engaging civic participation in anti-corruption activities, was set up in 1997. In the past 20 years, members of the ICAC Club had spent more than 60,000 hours on promoting integrity messages in the community. A Youth Chapter of the ICAC Club was launched to tap on young people’s creativity and vitality in promoting integrity.
Mr Peh noted that under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), Hong Kong was obligated to assist other States Parties in developing and implementing corruption prevention measures.
In May 2017, the ICAC held an international conference to share with participants knowledge and experience in money laundering investigation and asset recovery cloaking techniques and other pertinent issues.
As the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative unfolded, the ICAC set up a dedicated unit to provide training services to anti-corruption agencies in the B&R countries within the framework of the UNCAC, as well as corruption prevention advisory services to Hong Kong business operators who were looking for business opportunities in those countries.
Helping UNCAC signatories in their fight against corruption would not only enable Hong Kong to fulfil its international obligation under the convention, but would also help these countries build a level playing field for business, which would benefit investors and further enhance Hong Kong’s reputation in the international anti-corruption community, Mr Peh added.