Where to now for the ICAC?
One of Hong Kong’s proudest institutions finds itself under scrutiny, as fears of political interference in its corruption-busting work grow
Exactly one year ago the Independent Commission Against Corruption handed arguably the most important crime-fighting job in Hong Kong, for the first time ever, to a woman.
There was little fanfare when ICAC Commissioner Simon Peh Yun-lu installed 53-year-old Rebecca Li Bo-lan as head of the Operations Department, the powerful investigative arm at the heart of the battle to keep the city’s ghosts of corruption past – bribery, favouritism and influence peddling – at bay.
The lack of a raised eyebrow, in a city where even the paving stones have become political, suggested Li was widely seen as a suitable candidate.
Fast forward 12 months and the commission, respected and copied around the world as a model in the fight against corruption is now itself mired in allegations that Li was ousted because she refused to soft pedal an ongoing investigation into a HK$50 million payment made to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying.
Certainly Peh must have thought Li was suitable. Neither when he announced Li’s appointment nor in the days after he dumped her, did the former immigration chief offer any hint that she was on probation.
It was only after the clamour for an explanation grew that Peh insisted her appointment was made out of “administrative convenience’’.