Lawmakers press Hong Kong’s anti-graft chief to explain removal of top officer

At a meeting attended by only 13 of 70 newly elected legislators, ICAC commissioner reiterates that reshuffle had nothing to do with probe of Leung Chun-ying

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Seven pan-democrats who attended the meeting (from left) Raymond Chan Chi-chuen, Kenneth Leung, Claudia Mo Man-ching, Kwok Ka-ki, Lam Cheuk-ting, Jeremy Jansen Tam Man-ho and Dr Fernando Cheung Chiu-hung. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 9:44pm, 23 Sep 2016Updated: 11:12pm, 23 Sep 2016

Most of the 70 newly elected lawmakers snubbed a rare invitation to meet Hong Kong’s anti-graft chief to “foster communications” on Friday, while the pan-democrats who accepted the offer grilled him over the watchdog’s controversial top management reshuffle.

Thirteen legislators attended the meeting at the Independent Commission Against Corruption’s headquarters in North Point – nine pan-democrats and localists and four Beijing-loyalists.

Among the 26 lawmakers elected for the first time earlier this month, only seven turned up, including four pan-democrats and localists.

Democrat Lam Cheuk-ting, a former investigator at the agency, said that over the course of two hours ICAC commissioner Simon Peh Yun-lu failed to explain the removal of Rebecca Li Bo-lan as acting head of the agency’s powerful investigative unit in July.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying had distanced himself from the affair amid speculation that Li was removed over an investigation into his receipt of HK$50 million from Australian firm UGL.

“Peh simply repeated his earlier stance that Li’s removal was unrelated to Leung’s case. I can’t accept this ... because with Li’s fine track record, the removal was inconceivable,” Lam said.