ICAC must build on 50 years to ensure no hiding place for Hong Kong graft
- Anniversary of anti-corruption body serves as a reminder of just how far city has come and how it has to continue the battle
Hong Kong’s reputation for being a city with relatively low levels of corruption has played a key role in fuelling its economic growth and development as an international financial centre. But it has not always been that way.
Graft was part and parcel of daily life until the formation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 1974. The emergence of this new law-enforcement agency, with sweeping powers, marked a turning point.
Officers focused initially on rampant corruption within the police. Their first task was to secure the return of disgraced chief superintendent Peter Godber after the police officer fled the city. He was later jailed.
The creation of the ICAC was not easy. An amnesty was granted for less serious offences committed before 1977 after angry police officers stormed the new body’s offices that year. But the anti-graft organisation, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, has since gone from strength to strength.
It continues to work to keep the city clean, not only through investigations and arrests but also education. Many have been brought to justice, including top officials and tycoons.
Corruption complaints increased last year compared to 2022, but were still below pre-pandemic levels. In the early years, the ICAC targeted public-sector corruption.
Now, most cases involve private businesses. The organisation has become a model for others to follow.
More than 500 anti-graft officers, judges, prosecutors, regulators and academics from 60 jurisdictions attended a symposium this week.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu paid tribute at the event to the ICAC’s “pioneering role”. The organisation signed a memorandum of understanding with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime as well as several countries.
It launched a new training body, the Hong Kong International Academy Against Corruption, in February. Last year, the ICAC conducted its first workshops for the UN.
The latest training programme involves the use of technology to combat crime.
The ICAC, with Beijing’s backing, will play a vital role in helping countries involved in China’s Belt and Road Initiative fight corruption. Its expertise has become a valuable Hong Kong export.
But while the body forges ahead with its international programmes, it must continue to ensure corruption is curtailed, balancing its powers with the requirements of the rule of law.
As Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung said at an ICAC symposium this week, instilling the right core values in members of the public is just as important as investigating and punishing crime.
Corruption is insidious and difficult to detect. It is a global problem requiring a sophisticated and determined response.
The ICAC must build on its first 50 years and look forward to effectively combating graft long into the future.
