ICAC opening new HQ meant more entertaining, says Timothy Tong
Former graft buster denies plying visitors with hard liquor to extend his personal network
Former ICAC chief Timothy Tong Hin-ming yesterday denied using public money for personal networking.
At a Legislative Council committee hearing into his hospitality spending, Tong attributed the higher entertainment bills racked up during his five-year tenure at the Independent Commission Against Corruption to a rise in the number of visitors to the agency's headquarters in North Point after it opened in 2007.
He appeared before Legco's Public Accounts Committee to answer questions about expenses on anti-corruption education and entertainment during his term as commissioner from 2007 to 2012.
Civic Party lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit noted that funds allocated to the agency increased from HK$712 million to HK$824 million during Tong's term, but it carried out less anti-corruption education in the community.
The graft-busting agency reached about 23,000 people last year through talks, visits and meetings, a 25 per cent drop from 2008, the Audit Commission reported earlier.
Leong asked if Tong had used part of the money to buy mao-tai - strong Chinese liquor - to host receptions for officials from Beijing's liaison office in the city, and to build his personal network.
