The 2016 Annual Report of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Complaints Committee (the Committee) was tabled in the Legislative Council today (June 28). The report gives a summary of the work carried out by the Committee in 2016.
 
     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's procedures which may lead to complaints, and makes recommendations for improvement.
 
     In 2016, the Committee received 27 complaints involving 68 allegations against the ICAC or its officers. Among the allegations registered in 2016, 47 per cent were related to misconduct, 35 per cent to neglect of duty and 5 per cent to abuse of power by ICAC officers. The remaining 13 per cent were related to inadequacies of ICAC procedures. 
 
     The ICAC submits investigation reports to the Committee after conducting full investigations on complaint cases, while assessment reports are submitted for complaints which do not warrant full investigation. During 2016, the Committee held three meetings to consider the investigation reports on 27 complaint cases received between 2013 and 2016, which contained a total of 62 allegations. Three allegations in two of these complaints were found to be substantiated or partially substantiated, and two ICAC officers concerned were given appropriate advice by senior officers. In the year, the Committee also considered and endorsed 11 assessment reports. Preliminary assessment showed that there were no grounds or justifications in these complaints that would warrant formal investigations, and the Committee agreed that no further investigative actions should be taken.
 
     In the course of considering the complaints, both the Committee and the ICAC scrutinised the internal procedures, guidelines and practices of the ICAC. Through careful examination of the issues as identified in the investigation reports considered during 2016, the ICAC has enhanced the contents of its training programmes to better equip its frontline officers for dealing with complainants. The ICAC has also revised internal regulations to tighten up the control of claiming entertainment expenses for official purposes. 
 
     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, June 28, 2017
Issued at HKT 11:30

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