ENG-1995 — Page 340

PUBLIC ORDER

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corruption complaints, 1059 of which (including 469 criminal allegations) were subsequently referred to relevant government departments or the police.

Operations

The Operations Department receives and investigates reports of suspected corruption under the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, election malpractices under the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Ordinance, and ICAC-related offences under the ICAC Ordinance.

Of the 3 232 corruption reports received in 1995, 2 342 contained sufficient information for investigation to commence. The department's caseload was 1 130 at the end of the year with 443 persons prosecuted and 107 cautioned for minor offences including nine for trivial election malpractices.

To deal with the higher number of corruption reports received in the last three years, specially-trained staff of the Community Relations Department now work closely with investigators of the Operations Department to deal with the initial stages of some investigations. This procedure accelerates the response to complaints and ensures a more efficient use of human resources.

Corruption Prevention

The Corruption Prevention Department makes recommendations to eliminate opportunities for corruption that may exist in the government and the public sector. --On request, it also advises the private sector on corruption prevention techniques.

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The department studies new procedures or policies, and monitors the implementation of previous studies. It also gives corruption prevention advice through consultation and participation in a variety of committees and working groups. In 1995, the department completed 96 assignment studies and advised 118 businesses.

Government departments, public bodies and private businesses continued to consult the department on anti-corruption measures in areas such as purchasing, tendering and stores management. To tackle the problems associated with building management, advice was given to owners' corporations through the Home Affairs Department and a Code of Practices on procurement of goods and services was promulgated. The department also participated in the Working Group on Regulation of Estate Agents.

Passenger clearance procedures at immigration control points of the Immigration Department were reviewed, and recommendations were made to reduce opportunities for collusion between passengers and immigration officers. Rural election procedures were also reviewed to ensure that the elections are open and fair.

The department was also consulted on the guidelines for declaration of interests by members of statutory boards and advisory committees. It continued to advise on the procedures used by Government departments and statutory authorities for the letting and administration of contracts for the construction and associated facilities and infrastructure of the new airport at Chek Lap Kok.

Community Relations

The Community Relations Department educates the public against the evils of corruption and enlists community support to fight the problem. It also aims to