!
A
N°
270.
REC
50626
Res3 OCT 201
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
237
23rd August, 1920.
HONGKONG.
closure 1A.
18
IC.
(B.
Adosure 2
My Lord,
I have the honour to report that on the 30th
November last Chen Pui, Accountant in the Police Department, absconded, and that the subsequent investigation of his accounts has shown a total deficit of £32,895.02.
The delay in informing Your Lordship of this matter has been due to the difficulty of obtaining accurate : figures regarding the defalcations.
2.
The circumstances are fully set out in the enclosed copies of reports by Mr. Wolfe, Acting Captain Superintendent of Police, the Assistant Auditor, and the Acting Treasurer. It seems that, as usually happens in these cases, the defalcations were rendered possible owing to disregard of the Financial Instructions. More particu- larly, Colonial Regulations Nos.218, 264, and 266, and a local regulation, of which a copy is enclosed, were not observed. Public money was received and paid out by the Accountant without passing through the Treasury, and advances of all sorts, including advances on account of salary and private loans, were made openly by the Accountant
out of the various funds under his control.
3.
Mr. Wolfe, who was acting as Captain Superin- tendent of Police for a year prior to Chan Pui's disappear- ance, pleads in paragraph 28(d) of his report old custom and pressure of work. It seems to be the case that the methods
E RIGHT HONOURABLE
VISCOUNT MILNER, G.C.B.,
ac.
ac...
40.