The Yau Ma Tei Wholesale Fruit Market in Kowloon, Hong Kong is a gem for many tourists visiting the city. Yet behind a kaleidoscope of fresh fruits and their sweet aroma lies a tapestry of intriguing anecdotes of Hong Kong’s past. It was also against this backdrop where one of the landmark cases in Hong Kong’s anti-corruption history took place.
In early January, retired ICAC Chief Investigator Jimmy Wong Yiu-chung was invited to lead an “Anti-Corruption Walk” organised by the Commission. During a two-hour guided tour, the former graft buster shared with 30 students from a local secondary school his experience in cracking corruption syndicates, in particular the Fruit Market case in the 1970s.
Wong recalled that when the ICAC was established in 1974, the public was skeptical of its determination, thinking it might be a “toothless tiger”. In 1977, the newly formed Commission neutralised a corruption syndicate involving law enforcement officers taking bribes from drug dealers for harbouring their illegal activities in the Fruit Market. By the end of the investigation, over 20 government servants were convicted of various offences. The case was pivotal in Hong Kong’s anti-corruption history. It was the turning point for the ICAC in gaining public trust and support. The Commission had proved to the public that it meant business.
The guided tour also covered the nearby Lands Tribunal – the former South Kowloon Magistracy – where students were given a mini tutorial on the rule of law, checks and balances, as well as law and order.
Meanwhile, the integrity-themed event also embraced a cultural element. Students also toured the Red Brick Building and the Tin Hau Temple, both being government accredited historic buildings in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong has a deep-rooted culture of integrity and a population that detests corruption. The "Anti-Corruption Walk" offers a trip down memory lane of the city’s relentless fight against corruption. Through visiting symbolic monuments in various districts, the ICAC hopes to sow the seeds of integrity among the young generations. More routes will be explored in future to ensure that the seeds take root all over the city.
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