The University of Hong Kong (HKU) plans to look into all previous breaches of confidentiality in the wake of a leaked council meeting audio clip, as President and Vice-Chancellor Peter Mathieson lamented a deplorable lack of respect for confidentiality in Hong Kong and at HKU.

Audio recordings, depicting what were believed to be comments made by HKU Council member Arthur Li Kwok-cheung during a confidential meeting last month, were released by a radio station on Wednesday morning. The university called the police for assistance the same evening.

Mathieson, meeting the press on Thursday, stood by the decision to make the referral to the police. He said that it would be up to legal experts to decide how to deploy police resources and whether a crime was involved in the leaks.

The council's investigation not only aims to find the person who leaked the sound recordings, he said, but also to find out whether interception or listening devices were installed in the room which made leaks possible. The audio leak, albeit "dramatic", was only part of a bigger picture.

"The lack of respect for confidentiality, which exists in Hong Kong and at the HKU, is deplorable and it is actually undermining the functioning of the university. This has started to happen long before Billy Fung (Jing-en)," he said. "It has happened all the way all the time I've been here, and indeed I think before I was here."

Fung, the HKU Students' Union president and student representative to the council, was barred from future confidential meetings after he leaked details from the same meeting, related to the council's rejection of former law faculty dean Johannes Chan Man-mun's candidature as pro-vice-chancellor.

Mathieson emphasized the importance of the principle of confidentiality in allowing decision-making bodies to function effectively. He said HKU senior management has always valued confidentiality, but "unfortunately the same did not apply to the council."

He stressed "all breaches of confidentiality" were unacceptable regardless of the motive. The premature leaking of research assessment exercise results to a newspaper in January, he cited as an example, has made his job "very difficult" and was also deplorable.

The news report singled out by Mathieson had carried a critical tone on the performance of the law faculty in terms of research quality. An audit committee was at the time formed by the HKU Council to probe the handling by Johannes Chan of anonymous donations.

The Education Bureau and HKU Council members had issued statements on Wednesday to support the university's move to involve the police. The bureau spokesperson said they believe the police will follow up the case appropriately.

The report has since been listed as "request for assistance" and is being taken care of by a regional crime unit.

Unauthorized taping of meeting proceedings by smartphone, according to legal experts, may constitute "access to computer with dishonest or criminal intent" under very specific circumstances. However, council members said their cell phones were all confiscated before the closed-door meeting.

kahon@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 10/30/2015 page7)