CASES OF ALLEGED corruption seem to be uncovered on a daily basis as the economic downturn grinds on.
Syndicates colluding at government auctions, a liquor licensing scam, horse-race rigging and police tipping off nightclub operators about raids in exchange for bribes and sex trips to Macau - these are among the allegations of illicit activity reported in just the past six weeks.
The number of reports of corruption in Hong Kong is at its highest point since the Independent Commission Against Corruption was established in 1974, but the anti-graft body says the problem is not as bad as it may seem and the situation is under control.
Its claims are borne out by independent surveys showing perceptions of the level of corruption remain quite low. However, survey organisers are warning the problem could spread because of the SAR's deepening links with the mainland, which is considered one of Asia's blackspots.
'Being a distinct yet integral part of China poses special challenges for Hong Kong in fighting corruption,' said the Political and Economic Research Consultancy in a report released last week.
'The problem in China is systemic. There are limitations to what the SAR can do to avoid becoming tangled up in the mess.'
The consultancy's Asia-wide survey of expatriate executives showed Hong Kong was viewed as the third-least corrupt in the region this year with a score of 3.33 (out of a possible 10, with lower scores the better in terms of corruption) this year, following Singapore (0.9) and Japan (3.25). The SAR's score deteriorated from 2.8 in pre-handover 1995 to a high point of 4.06 in 1999. It has subsequently recovered some lost ground to 3.77 last year.