SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 1990

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MAINTENANCE OF HK'S INTEGRITY A POLICE PRIORITY

*

AS HONG KONG STRIVES TO AFFIRM ITS POSITION AS AN INTERNATIONAL INTEGRITY IN THE FINANCE CENTRE, THE MAINTENANCE OF THE TERRITORY'S

THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE POLICE WORLD BUSINESS MARKET IS ONE OF FORCE.

THE COMMERCIAL HENCE, THE FORCE HAS INCREASED THE MANPOWER OF

FOLDFROM 93 OFFICERS IN 1973 TO 289 CRIME BUREAU (CCB) BY THREE OFFICERS IN 1989.

BE NO CONFIDENCE. IF CCB'S CHIEF STAFF

WILL THERE "IF THERE IS NO INTEGRITY, THERE IS NO CONFIDENCE, THERE WILL BE NO HONG KONG, OFFICER, MR BEN MUNFORD, SAID.

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"FRAUD AND, IN PARTICULAR, INTERNATIONAL FRAUD IS A SERIOUS MATTER BY THE FORCE, HE SAID.

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REGARDED AS

OF PROFITS AND WE ARE DEALING DO MR MUNFORD SAID.

BUSINESSMEN FIND NO BOUNDARY IN THEIR PURSUIT

"VERY FEW CASES WITH WHICH SO IT IS WITH FRAUD. NOT HAVE SOME SORT OF INTERNATIONAL CONNECTION,

LIAISON TO CCB OFFICERS,

WITH THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN OTHER COUNTRIES, THEREFORE, IS ALMOST A MUST DURING INVESTIGATIONS.

IN ADDITION, CCB'S INTELLIGENCE DIVISION ALSO MONITORS CLOSELY IT CONDUCTS ENQUIRIES THE MOVEMENT OF KNOWN INTERNATIONAL SWINDLERS. ON BEHALF OF FOREIGN ANTI-FRAUD AUTHORITIES, MR MUNFORD SAID.

-

TWO

ONE

TEAMS

ON

WORKING PARALLEL WITH THE INTELLIGENCE SECTION ARE THREE

FRAUD ON COMMERCIAL

AND OF FRAUD INVESTIGATORS

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF TREASURY COUNTERFEIT AND FORGERY CRIMES ACCOUNTANTS.

LAST YEAR, MR MUNFORD SAID, CCB HANDLED 600 INVOLVING AN AVERAGE OF $1.2 MILLION.

FRAUD CASES BACH

"FRAUD

INVESTIGATION

IS VERY

DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL CRIME

INVESTIGATION.

IMMEDIATELY DETECTED. WHEN "A GOOD FRAUD CASE IS USUALLY NOT

LATER. AND THE VICTIM DOES KNOW ABOUT IT, IT MIGHT BE SEVERAL MONTHS HE USUALLY HAS A GOOD IDEA WHO HAS CHEATED HIM," MR MUNFORD NOTED.

THE

CHALLENGE

ΤΟ A

CCB OFFICER

WAS

TO

PRODUCE DETAILED THEIR

EVIDENCE TO LINK THE FRAUD WITH SUSPECTS WHO MIGHT HAVE COVERED TRACKS WELL AND EVEN FLED THE TERRITORY, HE SAID.

FRAUD EACH

ON AVERAGE, MR MUNFORD SAID, ABOUT TWO YEARS AND IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE A FOR SIX YEARS.

ΤΟ NECESSARY "VERY OFTEN IT MAY BE DATING BACK MANY YEARS IN JUST ONE CASE.

ENQUIRY WOULD TAKE CASE ON THE BOOK

INVOLVE COMPANY

RECORDS

/"I REMEMBER

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