TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 1987
AG LEAVING FOR OVERSEAS DUTY VISIT
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THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR MICHAEL THOMAS, WILL BE AWAY FROM HONG KONG ON AN OVERSEAS DUTY VISIT FROM TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) UNTIL MAY 9.
HE WILL BE APPEARING AS LEADING COUNSEL ON BEHALF OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES BEFORE THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL IN AN APPEAL AGAINST A DECISION OF THE COURT OF APPEAL (YUEN KUN-YEU AND OTHERS VS THE ATTORNEY GENERAL) DECIDED IN MARCH 1986.
THE APPELLANTS, DEPOSITORS OF THE DEFUNCT AMERICA AND PANAMA FINANCE CO. LTD, ALLEGED THAT THE COMMISSIONER FOR DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES HAD BEEN NEGLIGENT AND/OR IN BREACH OF STATUTORY DUTY IN HIS SUPERVISION OF THAT COMPANY AND THAT HE WAS THEREFORE LIABLE TO REIMBURSE THEIR LOST DEPOSITS. BUT THEIR CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES WERE DISMISSED IN THE HIGH COURT AND THE COURT OF APPEAL. THE APPELLANTS HAVE NOW APPEALED TO THE PRIVY COUNCIL.
BEFORE THE START OF THE CASE, MR THOMAS WILL DELIVER A SPEECH ON THE LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK OF BUSINESS IN HONG KONG TO THE NETHERLANDS-HONG KONG SOCIETY TOMORROW. HE WILL ALSO GIVE A TALK ON THE SAME SUBJECT TO THE LEGISLATION AND TAXATION COMMITTEE OF THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG ON THE FOLLOWING DAY.
THE CROWN SOLICITOR, MR JEREMY MATHEWS, WILL BE ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL DURING THE PERIOD WHEN MR THOMAS IS ON DUTY VISIT OVERSEAS.
OVERALL CRIME FIGURE SHOWS DECREASE *****
THE OVERALL CRIME KNOWN TO POLICE IN 1986 WAS 81 411 CASES AS OPPOSED TO 86 944 FOR 1985, A DECREASE OF 6.4 PER CENT, THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, MR RAYMON ANNING, SAID THIS (TUESDAY) AFTERNOON.
ADDRESSING THE ISLANDS DISTRICT FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE MEETING, MR ANNING SAID THE NUMBER OF ROBBERIES AND BURGLARIES REPORTED IN 1986 DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY BY 20 PER CENT AND 14 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY WHEN COMPARED WITH 1985.
''THESE FIGURES SUGGEST THAT WE ARE MAKING SOME PROGRESS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME,'' HE SAID.
/MR ANNING