Thursday, November 29, 1973
6
ANTI-CORRUPTION LEGISLATION BEING STRENGTHENED
Tough new penalties will shortly be introduced against corruption
to give stronger legal backing to the government's all-out drive to eradicate
graft.
The now measures are being incorporated in draft legislation now
being prepared which will implement most of the recommendations in Sir
Alastair Blair-Kerr's Second Report.
They will include, among others:
A maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment for
an offence under Section 10 of the Prevention of
Bribery Ordinance, as against the present maximum
of three years.
Provision to enable a court to make a forfeiture
award in favour of the Crown against a person con-
victed under Section 10, in relation to those monetary
resources or property of which the accused failed to explain his possession satisfactorily to the
court.
New machinery to prevent banks and other institutions
from dealing with the assets of a person under in- vestigation, and
Inspection and investigation of any bank account
operated by a government servant.
In outlining the proposed new measures, the Colonial Secretary,
the Hon. D.T.E. Roberts, told the Legislative Council that careful thought
/WELS