Former lawmaker Mandy Tam, who is facing charges of election malpractice by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), maintains she is innocent and prosecution is a reprisal of her voting down the 2007 and 2008 constitutional reform packages.

Appearing in public for the first time since she was charged by the graft buster on Wednesday, Tam said she will plead not guilty in court and believes justice will be done.

Saying it's a small matter, she guesses a hearing can be arranged and resolved in a month or two.

Tam served as a lawmaker of the accounting functional constituency from 2004-2008 after winning the election by surprise, beating a host of more well-known candidates. However, she failed to get re-elected four years later.

According to information released by the ICAC, she was alleged to have offered an advantage to her electors in the form of a free seminar to induce them to vote for her in the 2008 election. The alleged offense took place on September 5, two days before the polling day.

Tam remained calm, but her mother, perhaps worried about her, accidentally knocked herself, bruised her face and was sent to hospital.

Tam also recalled that a few years ago she had won a judicial review of the decision of Hong Kong Society of Accountants not to send her work reports to fellow members. "Compared with the case, I do not feel very huge pressure today," she told reporters. She also said her prosecution is a political prosecution, saying "the election took place in 2008 but they only charge me today, and you can imagine what this is all about. As I am innocent, I will plead not guilty and believe the legal system in Hong Kong is fair."

Tam stressed she had been conducting free seminars for accountants in the form of tea gatherings during her four years as lawmaker. "I had sought legal opinion when I organized the seminars. At first, I provided (to the participants) tea and snacks for free. After I had announced I'd run (for election), I stopped providing," she said.

Incumbent accounting constituency lawmaker Paul Chan is also conducting such free seminars, she said. As to whether he had run such seminars during that campaign, she told reporters to ask him.

Tam, however, refused to say if she had asked the electors to vote for her at the seminar, saying she could not touch on the content of the case, which is sub judice.

Not looking too depressed or upset, she expressed hope that the court hearing would clarify or define the normal duties of lawmakers and election activities.

China Daily

(HK Edition 10/29/2010 page1)