ICAC checks sport funds
DETAILS of public funds given to the Hongkong Kowloon Volleyball Association have been passed on to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
The Hongkong Sports Development Board gave the details after the arrest of two association officials for allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice.
One was also suspected of corruption and fraud.
Howard Wells, the development board's executive director, yesterday declined to give details of grants given to the association.
But he said $50.54 million had been given to sports bodies for 1993-94. Of this, $37.1 million was from the Government and the rest was sponsorships and interest from trust funds.
The board allocates grants to 52 national sports associations.
Mr Wells said if the allegations related to fraud and corruption in organising international volleyball events were proved and were related to public funds, the board would take action.
He refused to elaborate but outlined a drive started months ago to help sports bodies improve their game.
It included drafting a code of practice and a model constitution to act as a guide.
''Many of the sports bodies in the past have been run on a loose and woolly basis, which goes back a lot of years,'' he said.
''The draft is a detailed document which in principal will give more precise help in management of sports funds, but it also covers a lot of other areas such as voting and open membership.'' It would help bring their operations into line with equivalent bodies overseas.
The board has had the draft approved by legal advisers and is waiting for responses from associations before making it publicly available.
