13
Wednesday, August 1, 1973
The consent of the Attorney General will also continue to be required
for a prosecution under section 10, but the police will be able in the
first instance to arrest and charge a person and take him before a court
without the Attorney General's authority.
The existing ordinance already provides that in such a case the
accused person may not be remanded on bail or in custody for more than three
days, without the Attorney General's consent.
Provision is also made for a person under investigation to surrender
his travel document on application to a magistrate's court by the Director
of the Anti-Corruption Office.
Failure to surrender the travel document, in accordance with a
magistrate's notice, may result in the person's arrest and appearance in
court. If the travel document is not surrendered when he appears before the
magistrate he may be committed to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 28 days.
Speaking in support of the bill, the Senior Unofficial lember, the
Hon. P.C. Woo, said he and his unofficial colleagues regretted the occurrence
which made its enactment necessary, but "we are glad to see that such prompt
action is being taken to prevent a recurrence."
He commended Sir Alastair Blair-Kerr's first report on the Godber
case as a "competent and factual description of what had happened."
As far as the wider aspects of anti-corruption measures and the
future of the Anti-Corruption Branch were concerned, he said, the Unofficial
Hembers would withhold comment pending Sir Alastair's second report.
/Another