Complaints to Hong Kong graft buster ICAC drop for third year

Complaints filed to the city’s graft buster have fallen for the third consecutive year, the agency revealed today.

Holding its round-up media conference before year end, and one month earlier than usual, the Independent Commission Against Corruption admitted this year had been a difficult one after the scandal involving its former commissioner exposed grey areas in internal oversight.

Complaints received by the city’s graft buster from January to November this year are down 11 per cent to 2,190 cases from 2,452 in the same period last year.

Michael Sze Cho-cheung, chairman of the Operations Review Committee which scrutinise all investigations before the cases can be closed, said the declining number of complaints received does not mean the public has lost confidence in the graft-buster.

“The year 2014 had been a difficult year for the ICAC, as we all know, the internal oversight of the ICAC was questioned,” said Sze, who will retire from his position later this month.

“But the ICAC has been very successful in tackling the problems found, and I am confident that the public will soon have the same level of trust in the ICAC as before.”