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Indepentent Commission Against Corruption
109.
་་
There has been an increase in the number of corruption.
reports being made to the I.C.A.C., and the Commission's intelligence
confirms that there is some increase. The Commission is well able to
deal with this as its prosecution record shows, and indeed the
figures may reflect little more than that the Commission is on its toes,
and that its sources have improved. Nevertheless the figures do
underline the fact that in the circumstances of Hong Kong, if we are
to keep the enormous gains in public honesty achieved since 1972, a
f.c.A.C
body such as the I.C.A.C. is essential and must be kept at full
strength and at full pitch for many years to come.
110.
The attitude to corruption of both public service and
public has completely changed; the acceptance of corruption as the
norm has gone, as have the massive syndicates and massive pay-offs of
the past. But we certainly still have some corruption at most
levels in both public and private sectors and constant vigilance will
be necessary to weed it out and prevent it poisoning our society again.
Education and prevention measures have a large part to play, but
neither 'will get far without the deterrent of a first class, large,
operational unit able to detect and charge the corrupt. This we have.
/111....