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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1982
NEED TO PROTECT PUBLIC RECOGNISED
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THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM CRIMINAL COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES AND HONG KONG'S INTERNATIONAL STANDING AS A FINANCIAL AND BUSINESS CENTRE,
THIS WAS STATED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON JOHN GRIFFITHS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HE WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHARLES YEUNG, WHO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WAS SATISFIED THAT THE PRESENT LEVEL OF EXPERTISE AND MANPOWER DEPLOYED TO COMBAT COMMERCIAL CRIMES WAS ADEQUATE TO DEAL WITH THE INCREASING COMPLEXITY AND INGENUITY OF SUCH CASES,
+GOVERNMENT IS SATISFIED THAT THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE HAS BEEN IMPROVED OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO, AND THAT IT IS COMPARABLE WITH THE STANDARDS OBTAINING IN OTHER MERCANTILE COMMUNITIES,+ MR GRIFFITHS SAID.
BEARING IN MIND COMPETING CLAIMS UPON POLICE AND LEGAL SOURCES, THE LEVEL OF MANPOWER NOW WAS ADEQUATE, HE SAID, +THOUGH SOME PROBLEMS, SUCH AS THE AVAILABILITY OF TRAINED ACCOUNTANTS REMAINED TO BE RESOLVED.+
IN THE POLICE FORCE, COMMERCIAL CRIMES WERE INVESTIGATED BY THE COMMERCIAL CRIMES BUREAU, AT PRESENT CONSISTING OF 111 OFFICERS SPECIALLY SELECTED FOR THEIR APTITUDE FOR SUCH WORK. MANY OVERSEAS STUDY COURSES AND TRAINING SCHEMES CONCERNED WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF COMMERCIAL CRIME WERE AVAILABLE TO THE BUREAU,
+THE DECISION HAS RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN TO INCREASE THE BUREAU'S STRENGTH BY A FURTHER 36 OFFICERS.
+ IT IS HOPED THAT BY MID-MARCH THE BUREAU WILL BE AS NEAR AS PRACTICABLE TO ITS ESTABLISHMENT, HE SAID.
MR GRIFFITHS SAID COMMERCIAL CRIMES WERE PROSECUTED BY A SPECIALIST COMMERCIAL CRIMES UNIT IN HIS CHAMBERS REPORTING TO THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTION, HEADED BY A DEPUTY CROWN PROSECUTOR AND CONSISTING OF 10 LAWYERS,
+THESE COUNSEL ALSO WERE SPECIALLY SELECTED AND WORK ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON COMMERCIAL CRIMES. SOME MEMBERS OF THIS UNIT HAVE BEEN UPON VARIOUS COURSES TO LEARN HOW THE PROBLEM OF PROSECUTING COMMERCIAL CRIMES ARE DEALT WITH IN OTHER COUNTRIES, AS WELL AS ON VISITS TO VARIOUS EXCHANGES AND BUSINESSES IN HONG KONG TO LEARN IN PRACTICE HOW THEY FUNCTION.+
NO MATTER HOW WELL COMMERCIAL CRIMES WERE INVESTIGATED AND PROSECUTED, THE ILLEGAL PROF ITS WERE SUCH THAT PEOPLE WOULD CONTINUE TO COMMIT THEM, HE SAID.
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