ICAC Complete Chronicle

Author: Huang Xiaoyang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: On February 15, 1974, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong was officially established, just like a good doctor diagnosing an illness, quickly pinpointing the chronic problems within government institutions. Hong Kong then truly entered its golden age of integrity, successfully achieving a historic shift from chaos to order and becoming one of the world's most recognized corruption-free regions. The ICAC's ability to solve cases swiftly and repeatedly bring down high-ranking officials made corrupt individuals tremble in fear. Its anti-corruption experience attracted global attention, and its model was emulated by anti-corruption agencies worldwide. It can be said that precise functional positioning, reasonable institutional design, strict legal regulations, and scientific procedural safeguards laid a solid foundation for Hong Kong to achieve its "integrity brand." For countries and regions still in the high-risk period of corruption and striving to extricate themselves from its, this serves as an exemplary lesson. This book has already been long enough. In fact, the cases handled by the ICAC far exceed what can be fully summarized in hundreds of thousands of words. In this book, the author has only selected some of the most typical cases for introduction. When choosing cases, the author tends to favor those with distinct features in legal procedures and legal concepts, as the author is more inclined to let readers see the differences in legal systems, legal procedures, and legal concepts between mainland China and Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" framework. The successful anti-corruption model of the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC):
1. It is an independent law enforcement agency, exclusively responsible for investigating corruption cases, with no authority for any agency or individual to interfere.
2. It reports directly to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, maintaining the authority and independence of the ICAC.
3. It is granted privileges by law and protected by legal procedures, implementing a "zero tolerance" policy—handling even cases of corruption involving HK$1.
4. In procedural matters, the ICAC, the Department of Justice, and the courts respectively hold the powers of investigation, prosecution, and adjudication, forming a stable mechanism of coordination and checks and balances.
5. An effective combination of investigation, prevention, and education ("three-pronged approach"), with prevention work elevated as a key pillar of the anti-corruption system.
6. The ICAC's team is composed of top experts from various fields, leaving no room for corrupt individuals to escape. Sometimes, officials may try to intervene on behalf of others, but it's completely unnecessary to pay attention to them, as they have no authority over us.
—Guo Wenwei (Former Deputy Commissioner and Executive Director of the ICAC, Hong Kong)