Lawmakers press Hong Kong’s anti-graft chief to explain removal of top officer
At a meeting attended by only 13 of 70 newly elected legislators, ICAC commissioner reiterates that reshuffle had nothing to do with probe of Leung Chun-ying
Most of the 70 newly elected lawmakers snubbed a rare invitation to meet Hong Kong’s anti-graft chief to “foster communications” on Friday, while the pan-democrats who accepted the offer grilled him over the watchdog’s controversial top management reshuffle.
Thirteen legislators attended the meeting at the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s headquarters in North Point – nine pan-democrats and localists and four Beijing-loyalists.
Among the 26 lawmakers elected for the first time earlier this month, only seven turned up, including four pan-democrats and localists.
Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying had distanced himself from the affair amid speculation that Li was removed over an investigation into his receipt of HK$50 million from Australian firm UGL.
“Peh simply repeated his earlier stance that Li’s removal was unrelated to Leung’s case. I can’t accept this ... because with Li’s fine track record, the removal was inconceivable,” Lam said.
Twenty-three pan-democrats also issued a joint letter demanding Peh explain to the public the reasons for Li’s removal.
Lam said: “Peh has failed to carry out his duties in the Rebecca Li incident. It raises questions over whether he has the integrity to lead the ICAC. I demand he resign.”
Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said the pan-democrats hoped that Peh would give more answers to the Legislative Council’s security panel.
“If he does not come clean on the controversy, we will seek to invoke Legco’s special powers to launch a formal investigation,” he warned.
Kwok said the camp was also drafting a personal bill, seeking to amend the anti-bribery law to make it a criminal offence for the chief executive to solicit or accept any advantage without the permission of a statutory independent committee.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the watchdog’s spokesman said Peh had told the lawmakers that “ceasing the acting arrangement of [Li] had absolutely nothing to do with any investigations”.
On the poor turnout, the spokesman told the Post the commission “understands that some lawmakers are busy”, while Kwok said “The major pro-democracy parties were all represented.”
Apart from the Democrats and Civic Party, the Labour Party, People Power, Civic Passion, Professional Commons and independent Pierre Chan attended.
In the pro-establishment camp, three independents attended – Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, Chan Chun-ying and Paul Tse Wai-chun – as well as Wilson Or Chong-sing, from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong.
Pro-establishment lawmaker-elect Ng Wing-ka said: “I couldn’t attend because I had a business meeting … and I have been a member of the watchdog’s business ethics development advisory committee for a few years.”
