The head of the beleaguered monitoring body that oversees complaints against police has been reappointed for a two-year term despite the recent controversial leaking of personal data on the internet.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen yesterday reappointed barrister Ronny Wong Fook-hum as head of the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC).
The reappointment comes less than three months after the discovery on the internet of the names, addresses, phone numbers and identity card numbers of about 20,000 people who had complained about police conduct.
The move was criticised by one individual whose details were among those accidentally released on a website by an outsourced maintenance contractor.
Lau Shan-ching, who plans to sue the IPCC for breach of privacy, said: 'I think there's no point in [Mr Wong] taking up the job because he didn't do it properly in the first place. It is better for him to resign and let others do the job.'
Although a bill to make the IPCC a statutory body will be introduced to the Legislative Council this summer, Mr Lau suggested the council should be disbanded.
'The council has lost the confidence of the Hong Kong citizens. I think a new system should be introduced instead,' he said.
