WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1990
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STEPS TAKEN TO PROTECT INTEGRITY OF LEGAL DEPT
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THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON JEREMY MATHEWS, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) DESCRIBED TO MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THE STEPS TAKEN TO PROTECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT FOLLOWING AN INVESTIGATION BY THE ICAC INTO ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST A FORMER DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS, MR C.W. REID.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON SELINA CHOW, MR MATHEWS SAID THAT FIRSTLY, WHEN MR REID WAS ARRESTED, HE DECIDED THAT THE ICAC SHOULD RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE FROM LAWYERS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
"THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INVARIABLE PRACTICE THAT WHENEVER A MEMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT IS THE SUBJECT OF AN ALLEGATION OF CRIMINAL CONDUCT, INDEPENDENT LEGAL ADVICE IS SOUGHT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR SO AS TO ENSURE IMPARTIALITY AND, EQUALLY IMPORTANTLY, SO AS TO BE SEEN TO BE IMPARTIAL, HE SAID.
SECONDLY, HE SAID, MAXIMUM CO-OPERATION HAD BEEN, AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE, GIVEN TO THE ICAC TO ENSURE THAT THE VERY SERIOUS ALLEGATION WAS THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED.
THIRDLY, THE ICAC'S INVESTIGATIONS INCLUDED THE EXAMINATION OF SEVERAL CASES WHICH MR REID HANDLED OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
"IT IS TOO EARLY YET TO SAY WHETHER ANY IMPROPRIETY OCCURRED IN THE WAY IN WHICH THESE CASES WERE DISPOSED OF, BUT MEMBERS MAY BE ASSURED THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM IS BEING MOST VIGOROUSLY AND INDEPENDENTLY INVESTIGATED," HE SAID.
FOURTHLY, IN PARALLEL WITH THE EXAMINATION OF THESE CASES BY THE ICAC AND HAVING REGARD то THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ALLEGATION AGAINST MR REID, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SAID HE HAD GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS THAT THE SEVERAL CASES HANDLED BY THE COMMERCIAL CRIME UNIT THAT NOT CURRENTLY UNDER ICAC INVESTIGATION BUT IN WHICH DEFENDANTS REPRESENTED BY A BARRISTER AND A SOLICITOR INVOLVED IN THE ALLEGATION, SHOULD BE EXAMINED BY BARRISTERS OUTSIDE THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
FIFTHLY, MR REID WAS SUSPENDED FROM DUTY.
WERE WERE
"I SHOULD STRESS THAT TO DATE NO ONE IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, APART FROM MR REID, IS THE SUBJECT OF THESE CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS INVESTIGATIONS, MR MATHEWS SAID.
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HE REMINDED MEMBERS OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES THAT "A PERSON IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVED GUILTY AND THAT THE ONLY PROPER PLACE FOR DETERMINING GUILT OR INNOCENCE OF A CRIME IS A COURT",
MR REID, WHO WAS APPOINTED CROWN COUNSEL IN 1975, WAS ONE OF THREE DEPUTY DIRECTORS OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS AND HEAD OF THE COMMERCIAL CRIME UNIT, HAVING BEEN APPOINTED TO THAT POST IN 1983,
HE SAID.
THE ALLEGATION