ICAC Complaints Committee Annual Report tabled in LegCo

     The 2017 Annual Report of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) Complaints Committee was tabled in the Legislative Council today (July 4). The report gives a summary of the Committee's work in 2017.

     The Committee is tasked with the responsibility of monitoring the handling of non-criminal complaints against the ICAC and its officers. The Committee takes an independent view of the ICAC's investigation findings on the complaints received, reviews the ICAC's procedures which may lead to complaints, and makes recommendations for improvement.

     In 2017, the Committee received 24 complaints involving 100 allegations against the ICAC or its officers. Among the allegations received in 2017, 48 per cent were related to misconduct, 42 per cent to neglect of duties and 9 per cent to abuse of power by ICAC officers. The remaining 1 per cent was related to inadequacies of ICAC procedures.  

     The ICAC submits investigation reports to the Committee after conducting full investigations on complaint cases, while assessment reports are submitted for complaints which do not warrant full investigation. During 2017, the Committee held three meetings to consider the investigation reports on 23 complaint cases received in 2016 or 2017. These complaints contained a total of 49 allegations. Three allegations in three of these complaints were found to be substantiated or partially substantiated, and the four ICAC officers concerned were given appropriate advice by senior officers. In the year, the Committee also considered and endorsed nine assessment reports. Preliminary assessment showed that there were no grounds or justifications in these complaints that would warrant formal investigation, and the Committee agreed that no further investigative action should be taken.

     In the course of considering the complaints, both the Committee and the ICAC scrutinised the internal procedures, guidelines and practices of the ICAC. After careful examination of the issues identified in the investigation reports considered during 2017, the ICAC organised more briefing sessions and strengthened the training of frontline officers to enhance their vigilance and knowledge in the use of information technology for duty purposes, security classification of documents and their handling, dealing with difficult requests of complainants, making appropriate case referrals and handling of items seized during search operations. Furthermore, the ICAC reviewed the practices for handling confidential correspondence and promulgated some updated internal instructions in this regard.   

     The annual report of the Committee is available on the Administration Wing website (www.admwing.gov.hk/eng/links/icac.htm) and also at the ICAC's regional offices.