PUBLIC ORDER
Performance Pledges
The department's sixth set of performance pledges was published, together with the department's vision, mission and value statements. These reinforce the department's commitment to quality service. For better public accountability, the department regularly reviews the quality of its services with three customer liaison groups connected with air freight, sea freight and dutiable commodities trade. A home page was set up to provide comprehensive information about the department to the public through the Internet.
Independent Commission Against Corruption
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is independent of the civil service; its Commissioner is directly responsible to the Chief Executive. In 1999, the ICAC continued its three-pronged attack on corruption-investigation, prevention and education.
In addition to strict enforcement action, the commission spared no effort in promoting social ethics and raising the standard of practice in various trades and government departments, and advising them on corruption prevention measures.
During the year, the commission's anti-graft efforts in some areas, particularly the financial sector, the construction industry and the Civil Service, fully demonstrated the effectiveness of its strategic approach.
Corruption Scene
The number of corruption reports received by the commission remained almost unchanged after reaching a record level in 1998.
There were 3 561 reports alleging corruption (excluding election-related reports), compared with 3 555 in the previous year. Of these, 1 445 were made against civil servants, down 1 per cent. Another 1 904 complaints were made against the private sector, up 2 per cent. Reports against public bodies declined 11 per cent to 212 in 1999. A total of 2 553 corruption reports were pursuable.
The ICAC received 471 reports alleging corrupt and illegal practices relating to the District Councils Election held in November. Of these, 449 contained sufficient information for further investigation.
Investigation
The Operations Department continued to adopt a proactive approach in fighting corruption by developing closer links with other disciplined services and government departments through Operational Liaison Groups. Liaison channels have also been established with regulatory bodies and key industries.
In 1999, 504 persons were prosecuted and 79 cautioned for minor offences. The figures included those arising from election cases. At the end of the year, the commission's caseload stood at 1 686.
The establishment of the Financial Investigation and Computer Forensic Sections during the year greatly enhanced the department's investigative capability.
Major corruption investigations handled by the department included a football match fixing case, a pirated video compact disc case which led to the conviction of a
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