Confidence in ICAC
舉報貪污兩年持續銳減 市民對廉署信任未恢復
文章日期:2015年2月13日

雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION (ICAC) received over 10% fewer complaints between January and November this year than it did in the same period of the previous year. Last year the number of complaints filed with the ICAC was down 33% on the year before last. This year it has again fallen sharply. Conceivably, the number has plunged for two consecutive years because it has transpired that officials controlling the government machine have been suspected of corruption and those in charge of the ICAC have broken rules and regulations.

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廉政公署今年至11月接獲的貪污投訴,較去年同期下跌逾一成,這是去年與前年相比下跌33%之後,今年再顯著下跌。連續兩年貪污投訴大幅下跌,相信與接連揭發操持政府機器的官員涉嫌貪腐、手執廉政大權的官員違規亂紀有關。

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A host of data show it is not because incorruptibility has gone up in Hong Kong or the authorities have taken such drastic measures that citizens believe incorruptibility has dramatically improved but because citizens no longer have confidence in the ICAC owing to certain factors that the number of complaints about corruption has sharply fallen. The numerical change began after Donald Tsang and Timothy Tong had been implicated in irregularities. The image the ICAC once projected among the public has not yet been restored. Conceivably, this has to do with the fact that it is not known how the authorities will deal with the two affairs.

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各方面數據都顯示貪污投訴銳減,並非本港廉潔程度提高,或當局有大動作使人相信廉潔度出現戲劇化好轉,而是其他因素未能恢復市民對廉署的信任。而這些數字的變化,始於曾蔭權和湯顯明涉及不當情事之後;廉署形象在市民心目中一直未恢復,相信與未知當局如何處理這兩宗事件有關。

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We gather that ICAC Commissioner Simon Peh and other ICAC officers have vigorously contacted people from all quarters to reassure them that the ICAC is determined to promote clean government and fight corruption. They have done so with a view to rebuilding the graft buster's public image. Judging from the latest complaint figures, their efforts do not seem to have produced remarkable results. The reason is that the problem has not been tackled at its root.

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據知廉署包括現任專員白韞六在內,都積極聯絡社區和各方面人士,重申廉署肅貪倡廉的決心,意圖挽回廉署在市民心目中的形象。不過,這些努力從最新貪污舉報數字看來,似乎效果不大,因為並未正本清源。

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Take the Timothy Tong affair. The irregularities Timothy Tong committed about entertainment, gift making and travel in the five years when he was ICAC Commissioner are listed in the report of a Legislative Council committee and that of an independent review committee headed by Chow Chung-kong, Chairman of the ICAC Advisory Committee on Corruption. Furthermore, it is pointed out in those reports that Timothy Tong acted not on his own but with the assistance of other ICAC officers. Nevertheless, the Timothy Tong affair has remained unsettled and the ICAC officers alleged to have assisted Timothy Tong in his irregularities still keep their high positions. This being the case, it is hard to convince the public the ICAC has thoroughly purged itself of corruption.

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以湯顯明事件為例,他5年廉政專員任內,在酬酢、餽贈與外訪等不當做法,立法會相關委員會和貪污問題諮詢委員會主席周松崗主持的獨立檢討委員會報告,已經清楚指出違規亂紀之處。另外,相關報告亦指出湯顯明並非單獨行事,而是有其他廉署人員協助。即使如此,湯顯明事件懸而未決,而被指協助違規亂紀的廉署人員仍在高位。這種情况,就很難說服市民相信廉署對內部腐敗情况已經徹底清除。

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Yesterday, four advisory committees supervising the ICAC held a press conference. At it reporters repeatedly asked whether the fact that neither the Donald Tsang case nor the Timothy Tong case had been dealt with would affect the public's confidence in the ICAC. Chairman of the ICAC Operations Review Committee Michael Sze did not directly answer that question. He only said the ICAC would certainly deal with all complaints and there was no fear of any case being "caused to disappear". He also said that ICAC officials could not control the pace of investigation because some facts of those cases had taken place outside Hong Kong and they had to work with officers in other places and that it was up to the Department of Justice rather than the ICAC to decide on the strength of evidence whether to institute prosecution.

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昨日,監察廉署工作的4個諮詢委員會會見媒體時,記者一再追問曾蔭權和湯顯明的個案未有結果,會否影響公衆對廉署的信心;審查貪污舉報諮詢委員會主席施祖祥對此未有正面回答,只說廉署一定會調查舉報個案,毋須擔心個案會「被消失」,還說有個案部分環節在其他地方發生,廉署要到外地跟進、與其他地方的人合作,廉署人員不能控制時間,檢控與否不由廉署決定,要靠證據及由律政司衡量等,云云。

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Systems are of course essential for combating corruption. The reason is that, when there are rules, people are aware how they should conduct themselves and know they must pay for their trespasses. However, human factors are also important. When Timothy Tong was ICAC Commissioner, it was because of human factors that the rules governing entertainment, gift making and travel were not followed. It is a grave concern that some who assisted him in his irregularities still hold high positions at the ICAC. The government should have the courage and boldness to shake the ICAC up so that people will see no factor in corruption in the graft buster and will again have confidence that it is determined to uphold incorruptibility (part of our core values) and keep Hong Kong corruption-free.

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廉政建設,制度固然十分重要,因為有了規章制度,人人知所遵行,若有踰越就要付出代價。不過,制度之外,人的因素同樣重要。湯顯明治下的廉署,就是因為人的因素,使酬酢餽贈和外訪偏離了原有制度規定,而協助違規亂紀的人仍然在操持廉政,是一大懸念。當局應該拿出勇氣魄力予以整頓,使人看到廉署不再潛伏腐朽因子,恢復外界相信廉署捍衛廉潔核心價值和廉潔社會的決心。

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明報社評 2014.12.19

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Jason Chan

Lecturer, HKCC

www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/social_communication/CHAN,_Jason_Siu-chuen-168.html

郭熙琳博士

香港理工大學中文及雙語學系講師

www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/staff_directory/social_communication/GUO,_Xilin-98.html

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