Corruption cases will continue to decrease despite the approach of 1997 and the rise in cross-border business activities, ICAC Commissioner Michael Leung Man-kin predicted yesterday.
Speaking at a Rotary luncheon, Mr Leung said corruption cases had peaked between 1993 and 1994 and had begun to drop since last year. Between 1990 and 1992, corruption reports to the ICAC averaged 2,360. But the figure jumped to 3,284 in 1993 and 3,600 in 1994.
The sharp rise caused alarm that the graft-fighting body was losing control as the handover neared. But the number of reports dropped by 10 per cent last year to 3,232. And in the first five months this year, there were 1,124 reports, compared with 1,251 in the same period of 1995.
The powers of the ICAC will be severely curtailed if an amendment bill, now before the Legislative Council, is passed.
The Prevention of Bribery (Miscellaneous Provisions) No. 2 Bill, will amend two existing ordinances under which ICAC operations are governed, transferring the powers of search and seizure from the commissioner to an independent court.
Currently ICAC officers have to obtain a warrant from a magistrate to search and seize documents, but they can seize documents without a warrant if an officer 'reasonably suspects' a person is guilty of corruption.