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SCMP Reporter

THE ICAC will not formally review procedures for handling sensitive informants despite the acquittal of Albert Yeung Sau-shing and judicial criticism over the reliability of key prosecution witnesses.

  Independent Commission Against Corruption sources said it appeared there was no fault in the way witnesses gave testimony.

  An initial review of the decision by magistrate Jonathan Acton-Bond - who found that Mr Yeung, 50, chairman of the Emperor Group, had no case to answer on a charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice - had revealed no basic flaws in the ICAC's approach.

  This is despite the magistrate saying he could not rely on evidence by the Crown's three main witnesses.

  Mr Acton-Bond also said the prosecution case steadily got worse, adding that the courts were no place to take action against people when there were only suspicions.

  He said one witness had been 'positively parsimonious with the truth'.

  However, the ICAC does not believe anything is wrong with the system.

  ICAC sources say they were buoyed by Mr Acton-Bond's decision not to award costs to the defence and the magistrate's claim that he had 'rather more sympathy' with the Crown's predicament after reading papers inadmissible in court.

   The court papers would still be analysed, the magistrate said.

  One investigator said they knew it would be a tough case but nothing was really shown to be at fault with ICAC procedures.

  'It is simply a case of the magistrate not being convinced by some of the witnesses and that is his right. It is our view that the witnesses all came up to speed.'   Mr Yeung, who had the charges dismissed on Thursday, was accused of trying to stop a witness from giving evidence against him in another matter.



ICAC satisfied on Yeung witnesses