XN000022-1987-06-24 — Page 29

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1987

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SLIGHT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF CORRUPTION REPORTS

THE NUMEBR OF CORRUPTION REPORTS RECEIVED BY THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION SHOWED A SLIGHT INCREASE LAST YEAR WHILE THE NUMBER OF CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE POLICE DROPPED BY 12.5 PER CENT, ACCORDING то THE 1986 ANNUAL REPORT BY THE COMMISSIONER OF ICAC.

THE REPORT WAS TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY THE HON MRS SELINA CHOW WHO WAS DEPUTISING FOR THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON CORRUPTION, THE HON S. L.

CHEN, WHO IS AWAY FROM HONG KONG. SHE IS A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.

+ L OF

THE REPORT SHOWED THAT THE UPWARD TREND IN THE NUME. REPORTS RECEIVED AGAINST THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAD CONTINUED, AND THE FIGURE OF 1,060 OUT OF A TOTAL OF 2,574 CORRUPTION REPORTS WAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER RECORDED.

"I

ARE PREPARED ΤΟ

"IT IS ENCOURAGING TO NOTE THAT MORE PEOPLE IDENTIFY THEMSELVES WHEN REPORTING CORRUPTION AND THE 1,564 NON-ANONYMOUS REPORTS, OR 65 PER CENT OF ALL CORRUPTION REPORTS RECEIVED, IS THE HIGHEST FIGURE EVER RECORDED,' MRS CHOW SAID.

AS IN PREVIOUS YEARS THE COMMISSION RECEIVED A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF NON-CORRUPTION REPORTS. THE FIGURE FOR 1986 WAS 2,911, OR 53 PER CENT OF ALL REPORTS RECEIVED.

MRS CHOW NOTED THAT THE NUMBER OF CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE POLICE STOOD AT 629 LAST YEAR, DOWN 12.5 PER CENT FROM LAST YEAR AND WAS THE LOWEST SINCE 1980.

"THE ICAC COMMISSIONER HAS REMARKED SPECIFICALLY UPON THE GREATLY IMPROVED RELATIONS BETWEEN THE ICAC AND THE POLICE, AND THE VERY POSITIVE CO-OPERATION AND GOOD PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WHICH NOW EXISTS BETWEEN THEM," SHE SAID.

SHE ADDED THAT THE REVIEW OF THE WORK OF THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT SHOWED THAT PRIVATE SECTOR CASES WERE A MAJOR FEATURE DURING THE YEAR AND INVESTIGATIONS INTO LARGE SCALE CORRUPTION-BASED FRAUDS TOOK UP ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE DEPARTMENT'S INVESTIGATION STRENGTH.

"THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT THE ICAC'S INVESTIGATION OF THE SO- CALLED "SHANGHAI" HORSE-RACING SYNDICATE, INVOLVING A CONSPIRACY то CHEAT AT GAMBLING, AND THE COMMENDABLY FIRM ACTION SUBSEQUENTLY TAKEN BY BOTH THE COMMISSION AND THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB TO DEAL WITH RACING MALPRACTICES, CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF THE PUBLIC, AMONGST WHOM RACING REMAINS A SUBJECT OF INTENSE INTEREST,'

H

SHE SAID.

/THE WORK