Sensitive police report ready

A HIGHLY sensitive police inquiry into alleged serious misconduct in the top echelons of the ICAC has ended and the findings are to be considered by the Police Commissioner.

A small team of handpicked senior police, supervised by Assistant Commissioner Tsang Yam-Pui, has finalised exhaustive inquiries and compiled a report.

The inquiry was sparked when sacked deputy director of operations of the ICAC, Alex Tsui Ka-kit, alleged to police that his former boss Jim Buckle had perverted the course of justice.

Mr Tsui has accused Mr Buckle, ICAC Director of Operations, of improperly favouring an expatriate ICAC officer during an internal inquiry into claims the officer had sexually assaulted and harassed women he worked with.

Several women who worked with the officer were among those interviewed at length by a senior policewoman as part of the month-long investigation. None gave evidence that the officer had sexually assaulted her, sources said.

Due to the extreme sensitivity of the case it is understood the findings have been sent to the Police Commissioner, Li Kwan-ha, and senior counsel in the Legal Department for consideration.

Counsel from the Attorney-General's Chambers last May considered an ICAC file based on the internal investigation into the expatriate officer's conduct and decided not to prosecute.

The married expatriate officer remains an ICAC chief investigator, although his contract will not be renewed. He declined to comment yesterday.

Mr Tsui, who played a large part in the ICAC's investigation of the officer, has linked his sacking to disagreements he said he had with Mr Buckle over the handling of the case.

The undisclosed reasons for the sacking of the ICAC's most senior local are understood to relate to findings of an ICAC probe, which followed police intelligence detailing aspects of his ties to the Thai kick-boxing scene.