39
Chapter XI Commercial crime
INTRODUCTION
11.1
The Standing Liaison Committee on Commercial Crime continues to examine the overall problem of commercial crime, to co-ordinate the work of all the Government departments concerned and to task its Operational Targetting Committee with the investigation of serious cases. This chapter summarises the work of the committee during the period covered by this report.
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF SERIOUS CASES
11.2
The Evidence Amendment Bill, passed into law in June 1984, has enabled the Commercial Crime Unit to take up a number of major prosecutions, which would otherwise have foundered. At present, eighteen major cases are under investigation or prosecution.
SUBJECTS CONSIDERED BY THE STANDING LIAISON COMMITTEE
Computer crime
11.3
The Attorney General's Chambers' Ad Hoc Group on Computer Crime and Unauthorised Accessing of Computer Systems continues to work on the problems of computer crime. The group has met seven times during the period under review and has been considering making various acts criminal offences. The project has been more difficult and lengthy than expected, but it should be completed in the early part of 1986. The group will then submit proposals to the Standing Liaison Committee for consideration.
Freezing proceeds of crime
11.4
The Supreme Court Ordinance (Cap 4) was amended in August 1985. It enables the Police to take legal action to freeze items reasonably suspected to be the proceeds of a criminal offence.
Relaxation of secrecy provisions in the Securities and Commodities Trading Ordinances
11.5
The Banking Ordinance and the Deposit-taking Companies Ordinance were amended in November 1983 so that a head of a Government department would be able to disclose information on matters related to commercial crime to the Commissioner of Police or other appropriate Government agencies.