FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1977
FRAUDULENT SHIP OFFICERS CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY DISCOVERED
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THE MARINE DEPARTMENT HAS UNCOVERED 95 CASES OF FORGED CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY OF SENIOR SHIP OFFICERS SUPPOSEDLY TO HAVE BEEN ISSUED IN HONG KONG.
A MARINE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE LIBERIAN MARITIME AUTHORITIES IN NEW YORK HAD RECENTLY PROVIDED THE DEPARTMENT WITH COPIES OF DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED TO THEM BY APPLICANTS FOR LIBERIAN LICENCES FOR SEA SERVICE IN THE CAPACITY OF MASTER, FIRST AND SECOND OFFICER, AND CHIEF, SECOND AND THIRD ENGINEER.
IN EACH CASE THE APPLICATION WAS BASED UPON SUBMISSION OF PAPERS WHICH WERE CLAIMED TO BE PHOTOCOPIES OR ELECTROSTATIC COPIES OF CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY ISSUED IN HONG KONG AND ELSEWHERE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACTS, HE SAID.
+ON EXAMINATION BY THE CREWS DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT ALL THESE SUPPOSED COPIES OF CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY ARE IN FACT COPIES OF FORGERIES. NOT ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS PROVIDED BY THE LIBERIAN MARITIME AUTHORITIES IN NEW YORK HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE A COPY OF A GENUINE CERTIFICATE.
+ IN THE MOST RECENT BATCH OF PAPERS RECEIVED FROM NEW YORK 95 APPLICATIONS BY A THIRD PARTY ON BEHALF OF SEAMEN CLAIMING TO HOLD CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY AS MASTER, FIRST MATE, SECOND MATE AND FIRST AND SECOND ENGINEER BY EXAMINATION IN HONG KONG WERE ALL FOUND TO BE FRAUDULENT.
+OTHER SUPPOSED COPIES OF CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY ISSUED ELSEWHERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH REFERRED TO THE MARINE DEPARTMENT BY THE LIBERIAN AUTHORITIES REPRESENT FRAUDULENT APPLICATIONS IN RESPECT OF 32 CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY ISSUED IN ENGLAND, EIGHT IN CANADA, 11 IN AUSTRALIA, 11 IN NEW ZEALAND, THREE IN SINGAPORE AND ONE IN INDIA, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE SAID THAT ALL THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE LIBERIAN AUTHORITIES IN NEW YORK HAD BEEN REFERRED TO THE COMMERCIAL CRIMES OFFICE OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE WITH WHOM THE DEPARTMENT
IS CO-OPERATING CLOSELY, IN PUTTING A STOP TO WHAT WAS SEEN TO BE A WIDESPREAD AND CAREFULLY ORGANIZED FRAUDULENT OPERATION.
HE ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT WAS AWARE TO WHOM THESE LIBERIAN CERTIFICATES, WHICH HAD SINCE BEEN INVALIDATED, WERE ISSUED, BUT
ITS PRINCIPAL IMMEDIATE CONCERN WAS TO ADVISE THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY OF THE EXISTENCE OF OVER 170 SUPPOSEDLY QUALIFIED SHIPS OFFICERS IN HONG KONG WHO HAD OBTAINED THE IR LIBERIAN LICENCES BY MEANS OF DECEPTION.
+THESE MEN HAVE NOT BEEN FOUND BY ANY COMMONWEALTH EXAMINING AUTHORITY TO BE COMPETENT TO DISCHARGE THE DUTIES IN RESPECT OF WHICH THEY WERE ISSUED WITH LIBERIAN LICENCES.