The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will rehire the former assistant director of its Operations Department, Ricky Chu Man-kin, according to sources cited by Mingpao and Singtao.
Local newspapers cited sources as saying that Simon Peh Yun-lu contacted Chu after the former acting Head of Operations Rebecca Li Bo-lan left the ICAC. Li left after it was announced that she would be replaced by colleague Ricky Yau Shu-chun.
Chu is currently the Secretary-General of the Independent Police Complaints Council (IPCC), but announced in March that he would leave the council next January.
Apple Daily cited a source as saying that he will leave now his post early, a decision which was approved in a special meeting of the IPCC on Monday. The newspaper said that he may be able to return to the ICAC as soon as next month.
The newspaper also reported that according to their source, the ICAC believed that Chu had a lot of experience in investigation and would boost morale at the organisation. Chu worked at the ICAC for more than 30 years prior to his post at the IPCC.
Lam Cheuk-ting, former ICAC investigator and Chief Executive of the Democratic Party, told Mingpao he is worried that Chu will not stay at the post for very long. He said that he has not heard of the institution rehiring someone who had already retired and left long ago. He added that the incident showed that the ICAC is severely lacking in capable people to replace those who leave.
The ICAC declined to comment when contacted by HKFP.
