Commissioner will return early

ICAC Commissioner Raymond Wong Hung-chiu will cut short his holiday and fly back to Hong Kong soon to handle the controversy over the anti-graft body's raids on newspaper offices.

'The commissioner has been in close contact with our colleagues in Hong Kong over the incident as it has drawn widespread public concern,' an ICAC spokeswoman said late last night. 'He is now overseas and will be back in Hong Kong soon.' She did not say where Mr Wong was and when he would return.

He was on a month-long holiday and had been due back on August 18. He was not in town when the newspaper raids were conducted last weekend. Deputy Commissioner Daniel Li Ming-chak has been handling the controversy.

A spokeswoman said earlier Mr Wong was concerned about what was going on but did not know whether he would return early.

She said Mr Wong was aware of the details of the operation as the case had started before he went on leave.