再涉超支飲宴送禮 「廉政門」指向異化腐化

<轉載自2013年4月24日 明報 社評>

 

審計處揭發廉政公署酬酢開支超出上限，事態還未完全釐清，《明報》偵查組發現廉署更多不當飲宴和送禮異常情况，有理由相信，記者的發現只是把審計署揭開「廉政門」的小小一角、再撕開一點而已，使人忐忑的是相關情况有一個指向：異化甚而腐化。廉署本應是廉政、廉潔社會的脊樑，若它偏離原旨，對香港的影響非同小可，期望立法會嚴肅處理，找出真相，政府也應視乎情勢發展，做好必要時介入的準備，包括考慮是否需要重新檢視廉署的角色和職能，採取適當措施，確保廉潔的核心價值不受損害。

 

君悅夜宴內地團 公費吃喝大超支

記者採訪得知的兩頓超支晚宴，是廉署2010年11月初和12月初在君悅酒店，分別宴請由最高人民檢察院檢察長曹建明率領、由四川省常務省長魏宏率領的訪問團，每團人數介乎20至30。這兩頓晚宴，合共消費約8萬元（一頓逾4.1萬元，另一頓約3.6萬元），人均消費約1200元，遠遠超過廉署規定晚餐人均上限450元的規定。還有，這兩次晚宴場合，分別擺放了超過20支中外名酒，包括國酒茅台、XO等，這批酒雖然由廉署自備，毋須繳付開瓶費，不過，由於都是高價酒，價格不菲，若計入人均消費，餐費超支就更厲害。所以，審計署報告提及的兩次晚餐與這兩頓超支晚宴相比，只屬小兒科。

廉署肅貪倡廉，工作性質本來與豪華飲宴、大吃大喝沾不上邊，內地訪問團來港取經，若為引入廉政經驗，卻見內地官場文化的推杯換盞，赫然在廉署的豪華飲宴出現，則他們或許會問：香港廉政與內地有什麼不同？內地官場公費吃喝，耗用民脂民膏，人民群衆對此深惡痛絕，官民隔閡和一些社會深層次矛盾，紛紛由此而來。香港會走上這條路？

廉署酬酢吃喝，除了審計署和《明報》今日的披露，究竟還有多少不當飲宴，外界不知道，不過，從廉署回覆審計署自揭以「分拆帳單」和列作「宣傳費用」兩招繞過規管，有理由懷疑不會僅止於此；內地公費吃喝是貪污腐敗其中一個溫牀，這股歪風是否已經南漸，尚待觀察；不過，可以確信，若本港掀起公費吃喝歪風，整體管治和社會都將會沉淪，特別是若廉署已經淪陷在酒肉之間，則廉潔的核心價值誰來守護。這是必須搞清楚廉署不當飲宴這渾水有多深的原因。

對權貴送厚禮 湯顯明須交代

前任廉政專員湯顯明被指5年任內，花費22萬元公帑送禮給各地政府或官方機構，昨日廉署提交給財務委員會的文件，詳細列出送禮情况，從文件表列的受禮機構/官員，表面上看不出問題，不過，若深入查究，一些送禮另有文章。

文件列出，2007/08年湯顯明送價值4140元的「花坑石擺設」給最高人民檢察院，經本報偵查報道，得知這件擺設，其實是送給時任檢察長的賈春旺。據知這是一件虎形擺設，而賈春旺生於1935年5月，生肖屬虎，所以，這件禮物可謂「別具心思」。

賈春旺於2008年退休後，由曹建明接任最高人民檢察院檢察長迄今，同時擔任國際反貪局聯合會主席。文件顯示，湯顯明在2010/11年，曾經4次給曹建明送禮，分別是圍巾（價值2028元）、載有紀念照片的電子相架（1890元）、廉署紀念筆（1665元）和香港景水晶擺設（2352元），文件只有受禮者的職銜，不過，據悉受禮者就是曹建明。

內地官場送禮成風，以賈春旺、曹建明所收禮物只值4000多元及8000多元，區區之數，相信難與內地送禮惹人詬病之處相比。不過，按廉署內部文件規定，廉署人員出席活動或應酬送禮，價值最多不能超過800元，若超標，必須由廉政專員特批。湯顯明就是廉政專員，若特批自己超標送禮，存在角色衝突，而且4次送禮給曹建明都超標，是否有需要，值得斟酌。况且，湯顯明送圍巾給曹建明，別具心思抑或另有考慮，有點奇怪。

廉署送禮，本應與宣揚肅貪倡廉理念有關，藉此讓受禮者對廉署、廉政有更深入認識，事實上，廉署文件列出的禮物清單，大多數與廉署有關，包括模型、紀念筆、別針、盾牌等物品，價值多在400元以下，但是湯顯明送給賈春旺和曹建明的禮物全屬另類，即使是那支廉署紀念筆（1665元），價值也遠高於其他紀念筆（有低至65元）。以廉署的標準而言，湯顯明可謂對賈、曹兩人送厚禮，是否有必要？

綜合廉署文件和記者採訪所得，廉署超支飲宴和不當送禮，廉署都要交代，讓市民知道公帑用得其所。另外，還有兩點值得關注：（1）已揭露的不當飲宴和送禮情况，是個人行為？抑或事態涉及有組織的內部運作？都需要解答。（2）廉署的不當事態，是否僅止於吃喝送禮，未涉及其他範疇？亟需釐清。

廉署明年就成立40周年，它把一個貪污腐敗的環境，改造為人人珍惜的廉潔政府和社會，成就卓著，港人在政治、社會問題叢生的時候，仍然珍惜和守護廉潔的核心價值，使香港整體不致再沉淪下去。但是廉署被揭露的不當情事，指向異化甚而腐化，這麼重要的部門，它的廉潔度已經使人泛起疑問。疑問必須解答，事態必須嚴肅處理，不能打馬虎眼的敷衍過去，否則「香港好在有ICAC」這句話，將會成為莫大諷刺。

Editorial

ICAC's Departure from Its Established Principles

WHILE the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has yet to account for what the Audit Commission has revealed about its officials' overspending on entertainment, Ming Pao's investigative reporting team has unearthed some more irregularities in ICAC officials' dining and gift-giving expenses, which are really disturbing.

 

Our reporters have learned of two dinners that involved overspending, held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in early November and early December 2010 in honour respectively of two visiting missions, one led by Cao Jianming, then procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the other by Wei Hong, then Executive Vice Governor of Sichuan. The two missions were each comprised of 20 to 30 people, and the two dinners together cost a total of about $80,000 (more than $41,000 for one, and about $36,000 for the other), averaging about $1,200 per head, which far exceeded the cap of $450 per head prescribed for the ICAC. What is more, more than 20 bottles of expensive wine, brought along by the ICAC officials, graced the tables on both occasions. The overspending would appear even more serious if the cost of the wine were also taken into account.

The mission of the ICAC is to fight corruption, and has nothing to do with sumptuous feasting. Officials in mainland China are in the habit of feasting on the public's hard-earned money, which is detested by the people and partly accounts not only for the alienation between the government and the public, but also for many deep-seated social conflicts. Is the same to happen in Hong Kong as well?

In addition to what has been exposed by the Audit Commission and Ming Pao, how much unwarranted eating and drinking have ICAC officials been involved in? The public has no way to find out, but there are reasons to believe that we have seen only part of the picture.

Former ICAC Commissioner Timothy Tong Hin-ming is said to have given gifts totalling $220,000 to mainland and overseas governments and government departments during his five-year tenure. A detailed account of the gifts can be found in the papers the ICAC yesterday submitted to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council. In 2007-08, Tong presented a Hua Keng stone ornament worth $4,140 to Jia Chunwang, then Procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. As far as we know, it was a tiger-shaped ornament and Jia was born in May 1935, a year of the Tiger. So the gift was well thought out.

Since Jia's retirement in 2008, Cao Jianming has served as Procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate and, concurrently, President of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities. According to the ICAC papers, Tong in 2010-11 four times presented gifts to Cao, including a scarf ($2,028), a digital photo frame preloaded with commemorative photographs ($1,890), an ICAC pen ($1,665), and Hong Kong scenery models made of crystal ($2,352).

The ICAC has internal guidelines which forbid its officials from offering gifts to others worth more than $800 unless special approval has been obtained from the Commissioner. As Tong was the Commissioner, there was a conflict of roles for him to give himself special approval. This is a point that must be looked into. Judging by the ICAC's standards, the gifts Tong presented to Jia and Cao were more than generous. Was it really necessary to do so?

The irregularities that have been exposed about the ICAC point to a departure from the Commission's established principles, or even to corruption. This should be attended to seriously, or the slogan "Hong Kong - Our Advantage is the ICAC" will prove to be a big irony.

明報社評 2013.04.24﹕再涉超支飲宴送禮 「廉政門」指向異化腐化

審計處揭發廉政公署酬酢開支超出上限，事態還未完全釐清，《明報》偵查組發現廉署更多不當飲宴和送禮異常情况，使人忐忑。

記者採訪得知的兩頓超支晚宴，是廉署2010年11月初和12月初在君悅酒店，分別宴請由最高人民檢察院檢察長曹建明率領、由時任四川省常務副省長魏宏率領的訪問團，每團人數介乎20至30。這兩頓晚宴，合共消費約8萬元（一頓逾4.1萬元，另一頓約3.6萬元），人均消費約1200元，遠遠超過廉署規定晚餐人均上限450元的規定。還有，這兩次晚宴場合，分別擺放了超過20支高價酒，由廉署自備，若計入人均消費，餐費超支就更厲害。

廉署肅貪倡廉，工作性質本來與豪華飲宴沾不上邊。內地官場公費吃喝，耗用民脂民膏，人民群衆對此深惡痛絕，官民隔閡和一些社會深層次矛盾，紛紛由此而來。香港會走上這條路？

廉署酬酢吃喝，除了審計署和《明報》的披露，究竟還有多少不當飲宴，外界不知道，不過，有理由懷疑不會僅止於此。

前任廉政專員湯顯明被指5年任內，花費22萬元公帑送禮給各地政府或官方機構，昨日廉署提交給財務委員會的文件，詳細列出送禮情况。2007/08年湯顯明送價值4140元的「花坑石擺設」給最高人民檢察院檢察長賈春旺。據知這是一件虎形擺設，而賈春旺生於1935年5月，生肖屬虎，所以，這件禮物可謂「別具心思」。

賈春旺於2008年退休後，由曹建明接任最高人民檢察院檢察長迄今，同時擔任國際反貪局聯合會主席。文件顯示，湯顯明在2010/11年，曾經4次給曹建明送禮，分別是圍巾（價值2028元）、載有紀念照片的電子相架（1890元）、廉署紀念筆（1665元）和香港景水晶擺設（2352元）。

按廉署內部文件規定，廉署人員應酬送禮，價值最多不能超過800元，若超標，必須由廉政專員特批。湯顯明就是廉政專員，若特批自己超標送禮，存在角色衝突，值得斟酌。以廉署的標準而言，湯顯明可謂對賈、曹兩人送厚禮，是否有必要？

廉署被揭露的不當情事，指向異化甚而腐化，事態必須嚴肅處理，否則「香港好在有ICAC」這句話，將會成為莫大諷刺。