ON
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1975
AMNESTY FOR CORRUPT OFFENCES RULED OUT
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THE POSSIBILITY OF GIVING A GENERAL AMNESTY WITH REGARD TO CORRUPT OFFENCES COMMITTED BEFORE A PARTICULAR DATE, WAS RULED OUT TODAY BY THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. DENYS ROBERTS.
HE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE UNPRECEDENTED FOR AN AMNESTY, WHICH IS OCCASIONALLY GRANTED FOR OFFENCES CONNECTED WITH FIREARMS OR THOSE WHICH HAVE SOME POLITICAL ELEMENT, TO BE APPLIED TO AN ORDINARY CRIMINAL OFFENCE LIKE CORRUPTION.
HOWEVER, MR. ROBERTS ADDED THAT THERE MIGHT DE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH A LIMITED OR SPECIAL AMNESTY FOR CORRUPTION OFFENCES COULD BE OF POSITIVE VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY AND OF ASSISTANCE TO THE ICAC.
IF SO, THEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO IT BUT SUCH A TIME IS, IN MY OPINION, A LONG WAY OFF, HE SAID.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY POINTED OUT THAT THE LAW REQUIRED THE COMMISSIONER TO INVESTIGATE CORRUPTION WHEREVER IT MAY BE FOUND.
*IN PRACTICE, THE MAJORITY OF THE RESOURCES OF THE COMMISSION WILL BE CONCENTRATED ON PRESENT AND FUTURE CORRUPT ACTIVITIES. BUT IT WOULD BE TOTALLY WRONG, AND INDEED A DERELICTION FROM THE DUTY IMPOSED BY LAW ON THE COMMISSIONER, FOR THE COMMISSION TO REFUSE TO INVESTIGATE PAST CORRUPTION WHERE THIS EMERGES.+
MR. ROBERTS SAID IT WAS OFTEN ESSENTIAL TO STUDY THE PAST PATTERN OF CORRUPTION IN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE ITS PRESENT CONDITION AND ITS LIKELY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY SAID SOME FEARS HAD BEEN EXPRESSED THAT THE EFFORTS OF THE COMMISSION MIGHT DE HAVING AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON POLICE MORALE.
LET ME EMPHASISE,+ HE SAID, THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE COMMISSION IS TO ROOT OUT CORRUPTION, NOT TO LAUNCH A WITCH HUNT OR TO DRING FEAR TO INNOCENT AND HONEST MEN.
THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE BELIEVED THAT THE MORALE OF HIS FORCE WOULD BE POSITIVELY IMPROVED BY THE WEEDING OUT OF CORRUPT OFFICERS, HE ADDED,
AIR, RODENTS