NCJ Number
127734
Journal
Asian Journal of Public Administration Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Dated: (June 1988) Pages: 110-119
Date Published
1988
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The preventive aspects of corruption control are only beginning to be addressed in academic literature.
Abstract
This article presents the experiences of three practitioners within the Corruption Prevention Department of Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). An overview of the structure and function of the ICAC is provided. The procedures for identifying clients, pursuing the case, and working with the client to effect change are also described. It has been the experience of the Corruption Prevention Department (CPD) that opportunities for corruption in the system arise in three main areas: formal procedures, informal practices, and management. The authors note that corruption prevention has not been a popular strategy with the public; as awareness of corruption rises, so does the desire to seek retribution through prosecution. Furthermore, governmental agencies and private organizations are generally resistant to the type of audit and management review that are a part of the corruption prevention process. Finally, by its very nature, prevention is hard to justify in quantitative terms. The costs of investigation, prosecution, and maintenance of offenders within the criminal justice system, on the other hand, are very high and thus lend some justification to the prevention approach. The most important benefit of corruption prevention procedures is the image of efficiency and integrity that they lend to business and governmental practices within the territory. 1 note