Corruption reports fell 13% last year. The Independent Commission Against Corruption received 3,746 reports, excluding election-related complaints, Commissioner Raymond Wong says.

Reports concerning government departments fell 17% to 1,286, while those for the private sector fell 12% to 2,176.

Reviewing the commission's work in the past year and announcing its major initiatives, Mr Wong said it will adopt a proactive investigative strategy to unearth corruption, and offer timely prevention services to both the Government and private sectors to ensure Hong Kong will remain one of the world's cleanest cities.

In the public sector, he said the commission is concerned with incidences of misuse of authority in awarding contracts and involvement of individual law enforcement officers in illegal activities.

Ethical management

Mr Wong said the ICAC and the Civil Service Bureau will jointly organise a forum in June for senior Government officers and business leaders to share experience on ethical management, which will take the Civil Service Integrity Entrenchment and Business Ethics Promotion Programmes a step further.

Under the programmes, 25 departments have been visited and 500 listed companies have been approached to help them formulate preventive strategies.

This year the ICAC will also help the Government Logistics Department set up an effective monitoring mechanism on direct purchases, and assist various works departments in strengthening their guidelines on staff integrity.

The commission will also proactively assist non-government bodies receiving substantial government subventions to adopt corruption prevention measures.

Finance, insurance complaints

Last year, the financial and insurance industry was among the sectors attracting a large number of complaints.

The majority were related to corruption-facilitated financial frauds, such as bribing financial advisers or accounting staff to inflate business turnover to facilitate listing, manipulation of company share prices, misappropriating company funds, or credit fraud.

Mr Wong said during the year, the commission's Financial Investigation Section conducted financial investigations in relation to 1,305 transactions, involving over $1.4 billion.

Of the defendants charged in completed private sector cases last year, 73% were management executives or professionals.

2006 symposium

During the year, the commission made recommendations on the company listing procedures under the Dual Filing System of the Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Limited, and the Securities & Futures Commission to enhance existing procedures.

Mr Wong said the ICAC will further promote ethical practices amongst sponsors or intermediaries involved in company listings, such as investment banks.

He added to cope with rising transnational corruption crime and exchange anti-corruption experience with other agencies, the ICAC will organise an international anti-corruption symposium in early 2006 to strengthen liaison and co-operation with the Mainland and overseas law enforcers.