Hong Kong anti-graft watchdog sees 2,000 corruption complaints last year

The Independent Commission Against Corruption received a total of 2,001 non-election-related corruption complaints last year, representing a year-on-year increase of 9 percent, according to its latest annual report issued on Wednesday.

Martin Liao Cheung-kong, the chairman of the advisory committee on corruption, said the increase in corruption complaints is mainly due to the gradual recovery of Hong Kong's economic activities as the pandemic subsides, which led to a corresponding increase in corruption complaints against private institutions.

Regarding private institutions, Liao said the anti-graft watchdog pays special attention to corruption in property management, construction, and the financial and insurance industries. 

Last year, the agency successfully cracked down on the largest-ever corruption case in building maintenance and introduced an anti-corruption guide for property management companies to help them prevent corruption effectively and manage risks, he said.

As for public institutions, there were 13 civil servants involved in corruption and other offenses who were prosecuted by the ICAC last year, said Liao. However, he emphasized that the civil service remains clean and honest.

In terms of prosecution figures, Liao said the ICAC prosecuted a total of 204 individuals last year, involving 102 cases, representing a 2 percent decrease compared to the previous year. 

Within the year, 139 individuals were convicted, resulting in a conviction rate of 74 percent based on the number of individuals convicted and 83 percent based on the number of cases.

The ICAC also noted in its report that it had arrested seven people suspected of inciting others to boycott the District Council Election last year, with two of them charged shortly afterwards.