Justice secretary 'will consider' staying out of senior officials' cases

The law against corruption involving senior officials is clear, says Secretary for Justice Wong Yan-lung, and he will consider disengaging from sensitive cases so the prosecution will be fair and seen to be so.

Citing 'one country, two systems and a high degree of autonomy', Wong (pictured) also denied claims that his current three-day Beijing visit was to brief mainland officials on the latest development's in the ICAC investigations of alleged conflicts of interest by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, and allegations of bribery and misconduct in public office following the arrest of former chief secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan and the Kwok brothers. They have not been charged with any offence and are on bail.

'If senior government officials or former senior government officials are involved in corruption cases and are under the investigation of law enforcement agencies, you can be assured - the law is very clear regarding this in the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance,' he said on RTHK.

'If it concerns the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the transparency of the investigation's procedure is even clearer.'

A mechanism was in place to ensure fairness when cases involved sensitive people, he said. 'That includes giving the decision of whether to prosecute to the director of public prosecutions, or seeking advice from an individual barrister,' he said.

His remarks were in response to recent comments the former director of prosecutions, Grenville Cross, made in a public lecture yesterday at the University of Hong Kong. He said Wong, the chief prosecutor appointed by the central government, should disengage from prosecutions in favour of the director.