The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was formed on 15 February 1974 to clean up endemic corruption in Hong Kong government and in particular, the Royal Hong Kong Police Force.

Norman Whitely (right), a HK cop who joined the ICAC

The Hong Kong Police had previously had an Anti-Corruption Branch, but it did little to reduce corruption. Locals used to swear that the Anti Corruption cops just snooped around to find out what schemes the other cops had, then would cut themselves in too, for 50 percent.

Peter Fitzroy Godber was a senior officer at Wanchai police station and later at Kai Tak Airport police station. Before his retirement due date in 1973, he had amassed no less than 4.3 million Hong Kong Dollars (approximately 600,000 US Dollars) in his overseas bank accounts. The police anti-corruption branch investigated his mysterious wealth and ordered him to explain his source of income. In response, Godber immediately arranged for his wife to leave the colony, then he used his police airport pass to bypass Immigration and Passport checks and walked onto a plane for London. Godber's escape led to a large public outcry over the integrity of the police's self-investigations and called for reforms in the government's anti-corruption efforts.

The newly-formed Independent Commission Against Corruption was created to root out corruption; unlike the old Police Anti-Corruption Branch, the new ICAC would be answerable only to the Governor of Hong Kong. Local cynics first joked that "ICAC" stood for "Investigating Chinese Ancient Customs", or "I Can Accept Cash".

In the early days there were running punch-ups between ICAC officers and angry policemen who stormed their offices in Central District; this situation ended only with the announcement of a partial amnesty for minor corruptions committed before 1977. But gradually, the ICAC made itself felt, and several high profile police officers were tried and convicted.

Godber was eventually extradited and brought back to Hong Kong for trial in 1974, but not after the ICAC granted two other high-ranking police officers amnesty over their own corruptions. Godber was convicted and sentenced to four years in jail.

External link

• ICAC Hong Kong