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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1985
+AT PRESENT, THE TSUEN WAN OFFICE IS ATTENDING TO PERSONS WHO ARE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED WHILE THE NGAU TAU KOK OFFICE LOOKS AFTER THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED AND THE HONG KONG OFFICE OFFERS SERVICE TO BOTH THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED AND THE PHYSICALLY DISABLED,· MR HENDERSON SAID.
PLANS WERE IN HAND TO OPEN UP THE FORMER TWO OFFICES TO BOTH CATEGOR IES SO THAT ALL THREE OFFICES OF THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT SERVICE WOULD PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE TO DISABLED PERSONS, HE ADDED.
+THE PROBLEM OF PLACING THE DISABLED IS BEING TACKLED AND I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY TO GOOD EFFECT, MR HENDERSON NOTED, ADDING:
WE SHALL NEVERTHELESS BE LOOKING OUT FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE THIS SERVICE FURTHER.+
PREMATURE PUBLICITY WILL ONLY BENEFIT CULPRITS
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PREMATURE PUBLICITY ON TWO RECENT POISONING OF SOFT DRINKS CASES WOULD ONLY HAVE PLAYED INTO THE HANDS OF THE CULPRITS BY CREATING UNNECESSARY PUBLIC ALARM AND IMPROVING THE CHANCE OF A SUCCESSFUL EXTORTION, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
ASKED BY DR THE HON RICHARD LAI WHY NO ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE ABOUT THE TWO CASES UNTIL AFTER THE SUSPECTS HAD BEEN ARRESTED, MR THOMAS EXPLAINED THAT IN THE FIRST BLACKMAIL ATTEMPT, EIGHT BOTTLES OF SOFT DRINK ON SALE IN A LOCAL SUPERMARKET WERE AFFECTED WITH NOTHING MORE THAN PINHOLES.
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+ THE SECOND ATTEMPT DID INVOLVE THE DISCOVERY OF 12 BOTTLES OF ADULTERATED SOFT DRINKS BUT THE POLICE WERE QUICKLY ABLE TO ESTABLISH THAT THE AMOUNTS OF POISON INTRODUCED WERE SO MINUTE THAT EVEN IF DRUNK BY A CHILD, IT WOULD ONLY HAVE CAUSED MILD REACTIONS, HE ADDED.
+HAD THE DANGER TO THE PUBLIC BEEN MORE SERIOUS, A WARNING WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN GIVEN, HE SAID.
+BUT CAREFUL CONSIDERATION LED THE POLICE TO CONCLUDE, ON REASONABLE GROUNDS, THAT THIS WAS NOT NECESSARY.+
MR THOMAS SAID THE POLICE WERE QUICKLY ABLE TO ESTABLISH A LINK BETWEEN THE TWO ATTEMPTS. THE LACK OF SOPHISTICATION OF THE CULPRITS, THE FACT THAT THE AFFECTED DRINKS APPEARED TO BE IN ONE LOCATION, AND, MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, THE MINIMAL QUANTITIES OF ADULTERANT FOUND.
/MR THOMAS