【明報專訊】"I think this would not have happened if I had not voted against the constitutional reform package in 2005," said Mandy Tam Heung-man (譚香文), whom the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC, 廉政公署) charged on October 27 with offering voters a free seminar in an attempt to get their votes in the 2008 Legco election.
About Mandy Tam
Mandy Tam, 53, was a founding member of the Civic Party (公民黨), which she left in 2009. Tam was returned to the legislature in 2004. In 2005, her eleventh-hour opposition to the government's package of constitutional reform proposals tipped the balance. They were rejected. Tam tried to get re-elected in 2008 but lost to Paul Chan Mo-po (陳茂波).
Impact of the incident
Tam insisted on her innocence and said she was a victim of what she called a "political prosecution" (政治檢控). She said it was common practice to offer seminars in professional sectors, adding that she had not even offered her audiences biscuits for fear of bribery (行賄) accusations.
Under the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance, the offence Tam has been charged with carries a fine not exceeding HK$500,000 and a term of imprisonment not exceeding seven years.
