舉報貪污兩年持續銳減 市民對廉署信任未恢復

<轉載自2014年12月18日 明報 社評>

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。若此乃反映香港整體廉潔程度提高，少了貪污情況讓市民舉報，固然甚佳，只是事實並非如此，因為香港社會廉潔倒退，已是公論。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。因此，恢復市民對廉署的信心和信任是當務之急；為了讓市民目睹「看得見的公正」，當局須明確處理涉及高層人物，如前任特首曾蔭權、前任廉政專員湯顯明的事件。

曾蔭權湯顯明兩事未決 影響廉署形象市民評價

曾蔭權和湯顯明涉及的不當情事，分別在2012年和2013年被揭發，當局已證實對他們開展刑事調查，但是案件歷時約兩年，當局迄今尚未交代如何處理。在這個背景下，香港廉潔程度在國際的排名卻持續下跌，本月初公布的國際反貪腐組織「透明國際」（Transparency International）2014年清廉印象指數，香港在全球175個國家和地區中排名第17，較去年的第15下跌兩位。這是排名第三年下跌，亦是自1997年以來的17年新低，得分亦連續兩年滑落。除非國際對本港的廉潔情誤判，否則香港社會廉潔程度倒退，大概是難以爭辯的事實。

香港市民看待廉潔現況，也可從廉署收到的投訴看出端倪。今年1至11月，廉署共收到2190宗投訴，較去年2452宗跌逾一成。這是繼去年貪污投訴較前年大幅下跌33%之後的再次下滑，下跌情況與過去一樣，並非某一類別減少，而是各類投訴，包括對政府部門、對公共機構與私營機構等的全面報跌。貪污投訴由2012年的3932宗，兩年內下跌至到今年11月的2190宗，累積跌幅接近50%，甚為驚人。

除了貪污投訴持續下跌，廉署做的周年民意調查也顯示，廉署在市民心目中的評價，與過去5年比較是總體偏低。例如認為廉署反貪工作非常有效/頗有效，今年最新數字為80%，較去年微升0.1個百分點，不過與歷年比較仍然低約8個百分點。有關市民是否願意舉報貪污，數字與歷年相若，但是不願意舉報的市民有6.7%，較去年上升1.8個百分點，為5年來最高的比率。

因此，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心和信任。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。

貪污問題諮詢委員會主席周松崗表示，廉署已採取積極措施回應今年7月立法會專責委員會就湯顯明事件的報告，包括修訂廉署常規，令公務外訪、酬酢開支，在使用公帑程序上更清晰；又成立內部審計小組，確保公帑使用符合規定等。另外，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。

廉署亟須整飭內部 重顯捍衛廉潔決心

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，就很難說服市民相信廉署對內部腐敗情況已經徹底清除。

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，會否影響公眾對廉署的信心；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。看來曾蔭權和湯顯明的事件還未了結，市民只能耐心等待。

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。

Confidence in ICAC

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

舉報貪污兩年持續銳減 市民對廉署信任未恢復

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。

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。

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。

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。這種情況，就很難說服市民相信廉署對內部腐敗情況已經徹底清除。

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，會否影響公眾對廉署的信心；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。

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。