Hong Kong – September 25, 2026 -- The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) trained 35 law enforcement officials from 19 jurisdictions in a 10-day programme running September 7 to 16, targeting the investigation of illicit enrichment by public officials.
Programme draws senior officials from 19 countries and regions
Participants came from Indonesia, Kuwait, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nigeria, Oman, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Tonga and Ukraine, alongside officials from the Guangdong Provincial Commission of Supervision, the UNODC Regional Corruption and Financial Crime Hub for South-East Asia and the Pacific, the Commission Against Corruption of Macao SAR, the Hong Kong Police Force, Customs and Excise Department, the Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
ICAC Acting Commissioner links asset recovery to financial system integrity
Acting Commissioner Ricky Yau Shu-chun told the opening ceremony that tracing, exposing and recovering illicit assets of public officials is a fundamental requirement for safeguarding the rule of law and the integrity of global financial architecture, describing unlawful wealth accumulation by officials as a direct drain on community development opportunities.
Neil Walsh, Chief of the Law Enforcement and Strategic Networks Section at UNODC, said investigators' capacity to track, freeze and recover illicit enrichment is critical, and that the ICAC-UNODC partnership is designed to help agencies build new investigative and intelligence capabilities.
Curriculum covers crypto tracing, money laundering and asset recovery law
The course, jointly organised with the Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network), used seminars and case studies led by ICAC directorates and forensic accountants to cover legal frameworks for asset tracing, money laundering typologies and cryptocurrency-related crime. The Basel Institute on Governance of Switzerland presented on tracing illicit assets, the Hong Kong Jockey Club addressed money laundering risks tied to gambling proceeds, and the City University of Hong Kong covered the criminal psychology of illicit enrichment. A blockchain specialist briefed participants on tracing crime proceeds in crypto transactions.
Four-day Guangzhou study tour exposes officials to enterprise-level enforcement
Participants completed a four-day study tour to Guangzhou, visiting a law enforcement agency and large enterprises to observe how illicit enrichment is identified, managed and investigated in practice. The group also met legislative councillors at the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to discuss anti-corruption enforcement and asset recovery policy.
The programme follows earlier joint ICAC-UNODC courses including the Professional Development Programme on Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery and the Professional Development Programme on Empowering Integrity: Mastering Artificial Intelligence & Technologies in Anti-Corruption.