Unscrupulous property salesmen and customers who forge secret deals to cheat agencies out of commission have proved hard to tackle, the ICAC says. Many illicit practices by corrupt workers have been blocked since a self-discipline committee was launched three years ago by the Society of Hong Kong Real Estate Agents and Hong Kong Real Estate Agencies. Between them, the groups cover nearly all the 30,000 estate agents. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the two organisations yesterday launched a new training package which included a 15-minute video drama of estate agents caught in ethical dilemmas. Complaints received by the ICAC concerning estate agents dropped from more than 110 cases in 1993 and 120 in 1994 to only 60 cases in 1995 when the property market cooled down. 'Pocketing commissions without the knowledge of employers was most common. Others include diverting business to agencies owned by friends or relatives; or bribing watchman for information about properties ready for sale,' said Catherine Chui Wong Kit-bing, ICAC's Hong Kong East regional officer. Last Wednesday, the Legislative Council passed the Estate Agents Bill which says all estate agents have to be licensed and regulated by 2000.