廉政公署去年接獲的貪污投訴，與前年比較，跌幅高達33%，我們認為這與接連發生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，打擊了市民舉報貪污的意欲。當局須正視廉署已經受到傷害的事實，要採取措施挽回市民的信心，其中最應該做的是整頓廉政隊伍，把腐朽因子清除出去，使市民相信廉署洗心革面，重新出發，與市民一起為建設廉潔社會、捍衛廉潔核心價值而努力。
市民舉報貪污減三成 廉署角色作用響警號
較早前，美國傳統基金會與《華爾街日報》聯合公布的最新全球經濟自由度，香港雖然蟬聯第1，但是廉潔度得分顯著下跌1.7分，使得原來屈居第2的新加坡更加逼近。香港在廉潔方面自毀長城，連長期觀察香港的境外機構都看得出來；另外，去年廉署接獲市民舉報投訴貪污大減，說明廉署的角色和作用在沉降。內外對廉署的觀感都很負面，所釋出信息值得當局關注和深思。
去年，廉署接獲的貪污投訴較前年下跌超過三成，情並非某一個類別的投訴少了，而是市民對政府部門、警務處、私營機構和公共機構的投訴，全面報跌。貪污投訴大幅減少，其中一個可能是廉潔程度大為提高，使市民無什麼好投訴；不過，近年貪污情持續平穩，當局也無大動作使人相信廉潔度出現戲劇化好轉。
廉署貪污問題諮詢委員會主席周松崗認為舉報貪污大幅減少，原因有多方面，其中涉及樓宇管理舉報較前年銳減36%，可能與市民防貪意識提升有關；廉署社區關係市民諮詢委員會主席梁智仁則引述調查數字，包括受訪者對貪污容忍度今年平均是0.8分（10分代表完全可以容忍）、80.6%表示願意舉報貪污、95.3%認為廉署值得支持等，認為反映市民仍然期望廉潔和支持廉署。周松崗與梁智仁都避談前任政務司長許仕仁被控觸犯防止賄賂條例、前任特首曾蔭權被投訴的案件未結案、前任廉政專員湯顯明的不當作為，是否損害了市民對廉潔社會的信心和對廉署的信任。
其實，貪污情並無突然好轉之理，而市民對貪污容忍度低、願意舉報貪污和認為廉署值得支持仍然處於高水平，只是說明市民對於貪污深惡痛絕，願意協助打擊貪污和對廉署仍有期望，僅此而已；現在投訴銳減逾三成，必然有其他因素使市民的投訴舉報意欲大減，而前年和去年的「其他因素」，主要就是權貴們涉嫌的貪污與不當行為接連被揭發，所以，不應該迴避許仕仁、曾蔭權與湯顯明事件對肅貪倡廉的影響，特別是湯顯明事件折射出廉署內部的違規亂紀景，相信更是導致投訴數字大跌的主要原因。
湯顯明5年廉政專員任內，在酬酢、餽贈與外訪等不當做法，在立法會帳委會和周松崗主持的獨立檢討委員會的相關報告，已經確定違規亂紀之處，湯顯明是否要承擔法律責任，還待廉署的調查結果。不過，帳委會和獨立委會的報告都指出一點，就是：湯顯明並非單獨行事，有其他人等協助，而社關處處長穆斐文在酬酢分單、餽贈和外訪安排，都見她的身影。事實上，一些問題酬酢由社關處以宣傳費用報銷，餽贈禮物分類與價值總數曾經一改再改，使人懷疑廉署交代事態時，有意圖隱瞞之嫌，社關處與穆斐文箇中擔任了什麼角色，至今仍然是待解之謎。
湯顯明迄今仍然拒絕承認違規，周松崗側重表示廉署接納建議，採取改善措施，包括成立內部審查小組，直接向廉政專員負責等，而現任專員白韞六已經把上任後酬酢、餽贈及外訪開支交給諮委會審閱，結果使人滿意，云云。從亡羊補牢、向前看眼，廉署在白韞六領導下，廉署恢復循規蹈矩行事，確屬事實；不過，若考慮到湯顯明違規亂紀一些情尚未釐清，有關人等仍然留在廉政隊伍，則人們會懷疑廉署撥亂反正的決心。
白韞六接任專員之後，湯顯明的違規不當情事才曝光，事態與白韞六完全無關，當時許多人已經預示此事會衝擊廉署的形象，損害市民對廉潔的信心和對廉署的信任，期望白韞六以果斷措施和做法，如實向市民交代，徹底淨化廉政隊伍。可惜事態處理迄今，白韞六只能做到他與前任不一樣，酬酢、餽贈和外訪有更嚴格規定和要求，但是在淨化廉政隊伍方面，未見白韞六有任何作為，問題人物仍然身居要職，看不到他為廉署帶來根本轉變。
Editorial
Peh must work to restore public confidence
LAST YEAR saw the corruption
complaints received by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)
drop by as much as 33 percent over the previous year. We believe this had to do
with top government officials' involvement in corruption allegations and senior
anti-corruption officials' violation of established
rules and practices, which discouraged people from lodging their complaints.
Of
course, a significant decrease in corruption complaints may reflect a notable
improvement in freedom from corruption, as a result of which there is little
for people to complain about. However, corruption in Hong Kong has remained at
about the same level in recent years, and the authorities have done hardly
anything that may have contributed to a dramatic decrease in corruption.
Chow
Chung-kong, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Corruption, put the decrease
down to several factors, one being that, compared with 2012, there was a sharp
decrease of 36 percent in complaints involving building management, possibly
because of the public's heightened awareness about corruption. At the same
time, John Leong Chi-yan, chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee on
Community Relations, said that, according to survey figures, public tolerance
of corruption was low, the mean score being 0.8 for the year (with
"10" representing total tolerance of corruption). He also pointed out
that, of those surveyed, 80.6 percent indicated their willingness to report
corruption, and 95.3 percent believed the ICAC deserved their support. He thus
concluded that the public is still desirous of cleaning up corruption and
supportive of the ICAC. Both Chow and Leong avoided discussing whether public
confidence in a corruption-free society and in the ICAC has been undermined by
the corruption charges brought against former Chief Secretary Rafael Hui
Si-yan, the still-being-investigated corruption allegations made against former
Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, and the irregular practices of former
ICAC chief Timothy Tong Hin-ming.
There
is absolutely no reason why there should have been a sudden decrease in
corruption in Hong Kong. It may be that public tolerance of corruption is low,
and most people are willing to report corruption as well as support the work of
the ICAC, but all this only goes to show that the public detests corruption, is
willing to work for a corruption-free society, and still has expectations about
the ICAC, period.
As
pointed out in the reports published by the Public Accounts Committee of the
Legislative Council and an independent review committee chaired by Chow
Chung-kong, Tong violated established rules and practices in entertaining
guests, purchasing gifts, and duty visit arrangements during his five-year
tenure as ICAC chief. While the ICAC is still to decide whether Tong should be
held legally liable for all this, the two committees' reports have made it
clear that he did not do everything by himself,
but enjoyed others' assistance. And Julie Mu Fee-man, the ICAC's Director of
Community Relations, played an obvious part in the splitting of entertainment
bills, the purchase of gifts, and Tong's duty visit arrangements.
It
was only after Simon Peh Yun-lu had succeeded him as ICAC chief that Tong's
irregular practices came to light, and many realised then that this revelation
would tarnish the ICAC's image and damage public confidence in the corruption
watchdog as well as in Hong Kong's freedom from corruption. They hoped Peh
would take firm action to thoroughly clean up his anti-corruption team.
Regrettably, Peh has so far failed to do anything in this respect, and the
officials in question still hold prominent positions in the ICAC. To restore
public confidence in the ICAC's determination to stand up for a corruption-free
society and the core value of integrity, Peh must make an effort to shake up
his team.
貪污投訴大幅減少，其中一個可能是廉潔程度大為提高，使市民無什麼好投訴；不過，近年貪污情持續平穩，當局也無大動作使人相信廉潔度出現戲劇化好轉。
廉署貪污問題諮詢委員會主席周松崗認為舉報貪污大幅減少，原因有多方面，其中涉及樓宇管理舉報較前年銳減36%，可能與市民防貪意識提升有關；廉署社區關係市民諮詢委員會主席梁智仁則引述調查數字，包括受訪者對貪污容忍度今年平均是0.8分（10分代表完全可以容忍）、80.6%表示願意舉報貪污、95.3%認為廉署值得支持等，認為反映市民仍然期望廉潔和支持廉署。周松崗與梁智仁都避談前任政務司長許仕仁被控觸犯防止賄賂條例、前任特首曾蔭權被投訴的案件未結案、前任廉政專員湯顯明的不當作為，是否損害了市民對廉潔社會的信心和對廉署的信任。
湯顯明5年廉政專員任內，在酬酢、餽贈與外訪等不當做法，在立法會帳委會和周松崗主持的獨立檢討委員會的相關報告，已經確定違規亂紀，湯顯明是否要承擔法律責任，還待廉署的調查結果。不過，帳委會和獨立委會的報告都指出一點，就是：湯顯明並非單獨行事，有其他人等協助，而社關處處長穆斐文在酬酢分單、餽贈和外訪安排，都見她的身影。
白韞六接任專員之後，湯顯明的違規不當情事才曝光，當時許多人已經預示此事會衝擊廉署的形象，損害市民對廉潔的信心和對廉署的信任，期望白韞六以果斷措施和做法，徹底淨化廉政隊伍。可惜未見白韞六有任何作為，問題人物仍然身居要職。白韞六應該整頓內部人事，恢復外界對廉署捍衛廉潔核心價值和廉潔社會的決心。
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