Corruption | CCAC dismisses rise in graft cases within public services

Cheong Weng Chon

The Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) Commissioner, Cheong Weng Chon, has denied the rise of corruption cases within public departments, instead professing that graft issues do exist in a society with a rapid-developing economy.
A CCAC annual report released yesterday showed that graft cases investigated last year were mostly related to offenses committed by civil servants. Nonetheless, Cheong regarded the number of cases as similar to previous years’ and representing only a minority of “black sheep” in the government departments.
“To discover more corruption cases that relate to civil servants is not equal to a worsening situation,” said Cheong. “The authorities’ anti-graft effort has probably been strengthened and citizens have become less patient [with corruption].”
Besides, the CCAC official once again stressed that his office bore “zero tolerance” to
corruption, whether committed by “big tigers” or “small tigers” –
commonly known as “high” or “low-ranking” officials in Chinese communities.
Cases sent to the city’s prosecution department after official investigation would mostly be closed with successful prosecution, Cheong revealed.
However, to further reduce possible catalysts for corruption, the CCAC commissioner conceded that there was still scope to optimize the city’s overall anti-graft mechanism and legal system, which required cross-department collaboration.
“We need optimal supervision systems: one is internal; while the other one is about checks and balances among official departments,” said the official after telling media that it was up to the high-level authorities’ consciences to decide how they wielded legal power in executing their official duties.