vital inspectorate grade in 1973 is still well below the establishment figure for this grade for the year 1971. They have in fact 39 inspectors as against an establishment of 54.
68. A large number of reports received by the A.C. Office are anonymous. A report is classed as anony- mous if the caller or writer refuses to disclose his real name or in cases where investigation reveals that a fictitious name or address has been given. Prior to 1971 all anonymous complaints were considered by the Target Com- mittee; but since then this work has been delegated by the Committee to a sub-committee consisting of the Director of Criminal Investigation and one non-police member. Most anonymous complaints are found to contain insufficient information to warrant further investigation. For example:
"All members of the Housing Department are corrupt.
(Sgd.) a citizen.”
Some anonymous complaints are patently malicious; but in some instances they may contain useful information on persons or subjects already under investigation.
69. All complaints alleging corrupt activity are subjected to a preliminary examination in order to decide whether further inquiry is likely to be productive. The Target Committee has delegated a limited authority to the Director to decide whether further inquiries should be made. Any member of the committee may question the correctness of his decision after reference to the office case diary. But, in the majority of cases, a decision that further inquiry is not warranted is reached by the Target Committee itself.
70. The Target Committee may direct that further action be taken, either by the A.C. Office or that the case be referred to another police formation, or to the Establishment Secretary, or to the head of a department with or without specific recommendations or suggestions. The evidence may be insufficient to warrant the institu- tion of criminal proceedings; but it may indicate that a Government officer has been guilty of breach of discipline or that remedical action should be taken to correct departmental procedures.
71. The following are statistics showing the number of reports received by the A.C. Office during the years 1968-73 inclusive. It will be noted that for the years 1969-1972 there were approximately twice as many anony- mous complaints as all others put together; and with the exception of the year 1970, a very small proportion of these anonymous complaints contained any useful information. For example, in 1969 out of 717 anonymous complaints, only 5 contained usable information. The statistics below show 3 classes of complaints:
A Anonymous;
B Reports unconnected with corruption; and
C other complaints alleging corruption.
It is these so-called other complaints with which I am chiefly concerned. There is a break-down of these complaints; and the figures show the number of complaints alleging corruption against:
(i) The police
(ii) other Government departments
(iii) the public.
And there is a table showing how the complaints were disposed of. Column 2 shows the actual number of complaints against each of the 3 categories (police, other Government departments, public). Colunin 3 shows. the number of complaints in respect of which the Target Committee directed that further inquiry would be unproductive. Column 4 shows the number referred elsewhere for further action. Column 5 shows complaints which resulted in one or more persons being taken to court during that particular year. Column 6 shows the number of complaints in which the initial investigation has not been completed at the end of the calendar year. In the following year these investigations would be completed and a decision made as to whether further inquiry would be productive or whether the complaint should be referred elsewhere for further action or whether any person should be prosecuted. Column 7 refers to those complaints in respect of which the Target Committee has directed that further investigation be undertaken and which further investigation has not been completed at the end of the calendar year in which the initial complaint was received.
72. The following are the figures I have referred to:-
Total Number of Reports Received
A. Anonymous Complaints Alleging Corruption: B. Reports unconnected with Corruption: C. Other complaints alleging Corruption:
1968
284
40
461
Total: 785
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