A suspected human trafficker, who escaped from the custody of Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) on Monday, is still at large.

Though ICAC didn't make a statement on the incident, a police spokesman said yesterday that the corruption watchdog asked them on Monday afternoon to help trace the suspect, surnamed Cheng.

It was reported on Tuesday that the 30-year-old mainlander holding a two-way permit had given ICAC staff the slip while being transferred from Lo Wu to its headquarters in Central because he had not been handcuffed. The incident is rare in the annals of ICAC.

The corruption watchdog had given the suspect's particulars to the Immigration Department and asked it to notify ICAC if he tried to cross the border.

On Monday, the Immigration Department informed ICAC when the suspect tried to enter Hong Kong through the Lo Wu checkpoint. Three ICAC staff reportedly went to Lo Wu to pick him up.

Uncuffed, the suspect escaped from the ICAC car at the Po Shek Wu Road-Po Wan Road junction in Sheung Shui. Initially, the watchdog mounted a hunt on its own to re-arrest Cheng and sought police help after it failed to trace him.

Legislative Council (LegCo) security panel chairman James To said the incident was an isolated case because ICAC had issued guidelines specifying how to handle suspects.

Nevertheless, he said: "I think it's very serious. You spend a lot of effort in catching a suspect, but he is freed because he is not handcuffed. It's difficult to imagine that such incidents could happen. It will also affect the reputation of ICAC."

To said ICAC should remind its staff of the guidelines and investigate the incident, for the public deserves an explanation.

(HK Edition 03/30/2006 page2)