Senior policeman and three officers were arrested, says anti-graft body

The Shamshuipo police station commander was arrested this week on suspicion of accepting an advantage for providing assistance and advice to criminal suspects and obtaining unauthorised loans, the ICAC said yesterday.

Superintendent Philip Cheng Po-yan, 46, was arrested on Tuesday with two male sergeants and a woman constable. Reports at the time only said that the officers had been questioned by the ICAC. The Independent Commission Against Corruption said last night in a statement: 'The woman constable was arrested on suspicion of conspiring with the superintendent and one of the two sergeants to accept advantages for conducting unauthorised checks on the police computer system.'

A nightclub operator was among 12 civilians arrested on suspicion of offering advantages to the police officers for obtaining assistance regarding police investigations.

'Another two massage parlour licence holders, two parlour operators and five massage girls were also arrested on suspicion of providing free massage and sauna services to some police officers,' the anti-graft commission said.

A further 11 police officers and 64 civilians were interviewed over the three-day operation that ended on Thursday.

The arrests are the first by the ICAC of police officers since May, when Senior Superintendent Sin Kam-wah, a senior inspector, a station sergeant and three civilians were arrested in connection with an alleged sex-for-tip-offs case.

The arrests sparked a row between the police and the ICAC over the anti-graft body's handling of that case. Mr Sin and the two other officers were released unconditionally about two weeks ago. The three civilians had their bail extended.