ICAC complaint lodged over Antony Leung's car

The car-buying controversy over which Antony Leung Kam-chung has offered to resign took a new twist yesterday when a police officer complained to the ICAC and accused Hong Kong's financial secretary of abusing his power.

The development came ahead of today's hearing in the Legislative Council, where lawmakers are expected to question Mr Leung over his purchase of a new Lexus shortly before he imposed a hefty increase on vehicle registration tax.

In a letter to Mr Leung on Saturday, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa criticised him for having 'clearly breached' the code for principal officials under the accountability system.

The letter said what Mr Leung has done amounted to 'gross negligence', and disclosed that he had offered to resign on March 10, an offer Mr Tung rejected, instead giving him a 'formal criticism'. On Saturday, Mr Leung made a formal apology for his misconduct.

Yesterday, a police inspector complained to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), accusing Mr Leung of abusing his position for his own gain.

Speaking before meeting anti-graft officials, Bernard Lau Kwok-fai said Mr Leung should not be above the law. 'The evidence shows Mr Leung might have abused his power for his own gain. It is not only a problem of integrity but he might also have broken the law,' he said.

Separately, a group of activists, including Tsang Kin-shing, will also complain to the ICAC today.