Former commission chief says she may sue over a document that was drafted by board member Raymond Wu The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) controversy took a new twist yesterday when the commission's former chairwoman, Anna Wu Hung-yuk, accused the government and some EOC members of launching a smear campaign against her. Ms Wu, the predecessor of recently resigned EOC chairman Michael Wong Kin-chow, said she would be instructing solicitors to follow up allegedly defamatory statements contained in a document that was drafted by an EOC board member. The existence of the document was made public on Wednesday in a magazine article. Ms Wu said: 'I felt I had been subject to the most vicious personal attack with confidential information leaked and distorted by several members of the EOC. I am appalled, and the government's role in this needs to be clarified. The government's duty is to maintain the credibility and integrity of the institution, not to undermine it.' Her response came after EOC board member Raymond Wu Wai-yung admitted his role in the creation of the document carrying the allegations against Ms Wu and the EOC. His admission appeared in a newspaper yesterday. Ms Wu told the Post that the smear campaign was forcing her to attend a meeting of Legco's home affairs panel today. She said the allegations were unfounded because the EOC's operations and finances were subject to Home Affairs Bureau scrutiny. 'I am dismayed that even employment matters occurring before and after my tenure as chair were attributed to my failure,' she said. 'Legal applications are vetted by a sub-committee and not approved by the chair. The record will demonstrate the success rate of the EOC contrary to what was suggested. All matters relating to finances, employment, contracting and statistics can be checked with the EOC and these are subject to scrutiny procedures.' Ms Wu also said she had asked the EOC to tell her clearly whether the allegations represented the views of the commission. In response to Ms Wu's comments, Raymond Wu told the Post yesterday that he welcomed a lawsuit against him if she considered the statement libellous. In describing how the statement came to be written, Dr Wu said it began with a telephone conversation in which he dictated an account of the 'problems with EOC operations' that he had heard over the past seven years. 'I cannot recall entirely what I said,' he said. He was speaking 'to a person, whom I did not know, over the phone and asked him to draft a written statement. I don't know whether the person is an EOC staffer.' Ms Wu said the document was later read to a government official who showed no disapproval. This implied he agreed with the content, she said. Dr Wu conceded that the content of the statement was read out in the presence of home affairs chief Patrick Ho Chi-ping. 'Dr Ho did not state his position. It was a matter purely between Mr Wong and myself. I think Dr Ho should not intervene in the operation of the commission,' Dr Wu said. A Home Affairs Bureau spokeswoman said neither Dr Ho nor any of their officials were involved in the drafting of the statement. She said the bureau was not involved in any smear campaign. The document was originally intended for Mr Wong to submit last Thursday along with his letter of resignation. Mr Wu said he was surprised that Mr Wong did not read the statement when he announced his resignation. Legislator Albert Ho Chun-yan, a member of the home affairs panel, said the body would question Raymond Wu today on why he drafted the document.