127. Magistrates Courts are located on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and at Tai Po and Ping Shan in the New Territories. The Hong Kong Magistracy has six Courts which are presided over by four permanent Magistrates, one special Magistrate and a panel of Justices of the Peace. The Kowloon Magistracy has five Courts presided over by five permanent Magistrates, and a permanent Magistrate sits four times weekly at Tai Po and twice weekly at Ping Shan in the New Territories. The Magistracies deal with all cases of summary jurisdic- tion, the committal of cases for trial and Coroners' Inquests. Normally police officers act as Crown prosecutors in proceedings before Magis- trates Courts.
PART VI
THE ANTI-CORRUPTION AND NARCOTICS BUREAUX
128. These two Bureaux each in the charge of a Gazetted Officer are jointly under the command of a Director of the rank of Senior Superintendent.
CORRUPT PRACTICES
129. The Anti-Corruption Bureau is responsible for the investiga- tion of corrupt practices and for initiating preventive measures, the Director being a member of the Standing Committee for the Prevention of Corrupt Practices which meets regularly under the chairmanship of a Senior Crown Counsel.
130. During the year 507 investigations were undertaken compared with 415 in 1956/57. Of these 350 directly concerned corrupt acts, while the balance were in respect of such kindred offences as criminal intimidation and obtaining money by false pretences.
Police
131. Reports involving police officers totalled 253, a number of which were still under investigation at the end of the year, while others proved on investigation to be malicious or unwarranted. Ten police officers were charged, one was convicted and cases against five were pending at the end of the year. Eight officers were charged with kindred offences, one was convicted and cases against four were pending.
132. Departmental action was taken against fifty seven officers for corruption or kindred offences. Of these thirty officers were found guilty, resulting in the dismissal of twenty. At the end of the year twenty one departmental inquiries were pending.
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