XN000022-1986-07-23 — Page 26

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986

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CORRUPTION REPORTS HIGHEST IN TEN YEARS *****

A RECORD NUMBER OF CORRUPTION REPORTS WAS RECEIVED BY THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION IN 1985, THE HON S.L. CHEN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

TABLING THE ICAC ANNUAL REPORT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR CHEN SAID THE COMMISSION RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 2 550 CORRUPTION REPORTS LAST YEAR, THE HIGHEST ANNUAL TOTAL SINCE 1975.

HE NOTED THAT 1 009 OF THESE REPORTS WERE AGAINST THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THIS WAS ALSO THE HIGHEST OF SUCH REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE ICAC.

FOR NON-CORRUPTION COMPLAINTS, MR CHEN REPORTED A 25 PER CENT INCREASE OVER THE FIGURE FOR 1984, REVERSING THE DOWNWARD TREND OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

MR CHEN SAID THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN AT FULL STRETCH DURING THE YEAR TO DEAL WITH LARGE-SCALE CORRUPTION- RELATED COMMERCIAL FRAUD INVESTIGATIONS. SPECIAL TASK FORCES HAD TO BE FORMED TO HANDLE THESE LENGTHY AND COMPLICATED CASES, RESULTING IN A STRAIN ON OTHER AREAS OF OPERATIONS.

THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS DEPARTMENT, HE ADDED, HAD CONTINUED ITS WORK IN BRINGING THE ANTI-CORRUPTION MESSAGE TO ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY.

+A SPECIAL EFFORT WAS MADE TOWARDS YOUNG PEOPLE DURING THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH YEAR OF 1985, RANGING FROM LIAISON WITH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN PROMOTING SOCIAL MORALITY, TO THE LAUNCHING OF SPECIAL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMMES.+

IN THE CORRUPTION PREVENTION FIELD. MR CHEN SAID MORE CORRUPTION PREVENTION GROUPS HAD BEEN FORMED WITHIN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 31.

HE SAID A MILESTONE IN THE WORK OF THE CORRUPTION PREVENTION DEPARTMENT WAS REACHED IN 1985 WHEN THE ONE THOUSANDTH ASSIGNMENT REPORT WAS CONSIDERED ON NOVEMBER 7 BY THE CORRUPTION PREVENTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE ADVISORY SERVICES GROUP WAS FORMED IN APRIL LAST YEAR TO ADVISE THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON CORRUPTION PREVENTION.

+WITH THE EXPANSION OF THIS KIND OF SERVICE, IT CAN BE SEEN THAT THE CAC PLACES GREAT IMPORTANCE ON PRIVATE COMPANIES UNDERSTANDING THE LAW AND REGULATING THEMSELVES ACCORDINGLY,+ HE SAID.

/MR CHEN

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