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The Independent Commission Against Corruption ('''ICAC'''; ; and before 1997 ) of Hong Kong was established by Governor Murray MacLehose on 15 February 1974 , when Hong Kong was under British Rule . Its main aim was to clean up endemic Corruption in the Hong Kong Government and, in particular, the Royal Hong Kong Police Force (now Hong Kong Police Force ). The ICAC is headed by The Commissioner . Since the transfer of sovereignty in 1997, the Commissioner of ICAC is appointed by the State Council Of The People's Republic Of China , on the recommendations of the Chief Executive Of Hong Kong . BACKGROUND The Hong Kong Police had previously had an Anti-Corruption Branch, but it did little to reduce corruption. There was a popular perception among Hong Kong locals the Anti Corruption cops essentially, following the discovery of corrupt practises, would then enter themselves into the dodgy deals. A particular example was Peter Fitzroy Godber , 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 quality of the police's self-investigation 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 to only the Governor Of Hong Kong . Local cynics first joked that "ICAC" stood for "Investigating Chinese Ancient Customs" or even "I Can Accept Cash". Godber was eventually extradited and brought back to Hong Kong for trial in 1974 but not before the ICAC granted two other high-ranking police officers amnesty over their own corruptions. Godber was convicted and sentenced to four years in jail. DEVELOPMENT ]] |
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