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The 2013 Annual Report of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Complaints Committee (the Committee) was tabled in the Legislative Council today (July 2). The report gives a summary of the work carried out by the Committee in 2013.
The Committee is tasked with the responsibility of monitoring the handling of non-criminal complaints against the ICAC and its officers. The Committee takes an independent view of the ICAC's investigation findings on the complaints received, reviews ICAC procedures which may lead to complaints and makes recommendations for improvement.
In 2013, the Committee received 31 complaints containing 86 allegations against the ICAC and its officers. Among these allegations, 44 per cent were related to misconduct, 37 per cent to neglect of duty and 15 per cent to abuse of power by ICAC officers. The remaining four per cent were related to inadequacies of ICAC procedures.
Investigation reports are submitted by the ICAC to the Committee after conducting full investigations on complaint cases, while assessment reports are submitted for complaints which do not warrant full investigation due to lack of justification. During 2013, the Committee held three meetings to consider 31 complaint cases, comprising 21 investigation reports and 10 assessment reports. The investigation reports on the 21 complaints as considered by the Committee contained a total of 60 allegations. Twelve allegations in five of these complaints, which were related to ICAC officers improperly using social networking services and failing to record detailed descriptions of properties seized in the seizure list, were found to be substantiated or partially substantiated. In such cases, the concerned ICAC officers were issued verbal or written warning and given appropriate advice respectively.
In the course of considering the complaints, the Committee has also scrutinised the internal procedures, guidelines and practices of the ICAC. Pursuant to the issues arising from the investigation reports considered by the Committee in 2013, the ICAC has tightened up internal instructions concerning office security, protection of official information and use of social networking services and also enhanced the training on such subject matters to heighten the vigilance of staff. The ICAC has also refined the relevant guidelines to provide additional guidance to investigating officers on the description of seizures.
The annual report of the Committee is available on the Administration Wing website (www.admwing.gov.hk/eng/links/icac.htm) and also at the ICAC's regional offices.
Ends/Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Issued at HKT 12:38
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