Electoral fraud probe launched

November 23, 2011

Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Raymond Tam says the Registration & Electoral Office has requested information from voters suspected to have provided false information, and the office may consider forwarding the cases to the Police or ICAC.
 
Speaking to the media today after attending a Legislative Council meeting, Mr Tam said the Registration & Electoral Office has formally invoked the necessary procedures under the relevant legislation to issue a letter of inquiry to concerned voters and request necessary confirmation from them on their only or principal residential address and to provide documents to prove it within a week.
 
“Based on the replies received, the office will consider whether [to] refer such cases to the Police for follow-up action, in particular along the direction whether anyone has provided false information which has contravened the relevant electoral laws,” Mr Tam said.
 
“At the same time the office will, based on the information and their own investigation, see whether [to] refer such cases to the ICAC. If someone has actually forwarded false information and at the same time has cast votes in the past District Council election, that will be something under the existing statute, and the office will spare no efforts in pursuing that.”