The Democratic Party has apologised for a controversy surrounding legislator Wong Sing-chi, who stood for election describing himself as a social worker when he had not renewed his registration.
Three voters filed a complaint yesterday with the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
The party said Mr Wong had sought legal advice over any possible liability arising from what it said was 'negligence' but 'not a matter of personal integrity'.
The lawmaker renewed his registration with the Social Workers Registration Board on Tuesday, two years late. This followed criticism he had misled voters in the Legislative Council election last year by describing himself on leaflets as a social worker.
'The registration is merely a simple procedure,' party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan, said in defence of Mr Wong. 'We believe that the incident was due to negligence but not a matter of personal integrity.'
He acknowledged that Mr Wong should not have claimed to be a social worker without being registered and apologised for the controversy. But he said Mr Wong's academic qualifications and experience in the field justified the description.