SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1991
"PRESENTLY WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PROSPECT OF HONG KONG ENTERING INTO MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE TREATIES AND ENACTING THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION TO BRING THEM INTO EFFECT.
"WE ARE LOOKING AT OPTIONS THAT WILL ENSURE THAT HONG KONG WILL NOT BE A HAVEN FOR CRIMINALS BECAUSE OF ITS INABILITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
"IN COMMON WITH OUR OTHER INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS WE HAVE то ENSURE THAT ANY TREATIES WE ENTER INTO ARE IN SUCH A FORM THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE THROUGH THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY TN 1997, MR WOOD SAID.
HE SAID: "WE ARE COMFORTED BY THE EXCELLENCE OF THE RELATIONSHIPS BUILT UP OVER THE YEARS WITH COLLEAGUES IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND ESPECIALLY IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE READINESS OF THE HELP GIVEN TO US WHICH WE ARE ALWAYS ANXIOUS TO RECIPROCATE.
"IT IS ONLY BY RECOGNISING THAT IN THESE DAYS INTERNATIONAL CO- OPERATION IS VITAL AND THAT IF THOSE WHOSE GREED LEADS THEM TO FRAUD ARE SPEEDILY AND EFFICIENTLY INVESTIGATED, PROSECUTED AND CONVICTED THEN WE SHALL ALL PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF OUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
"
DFCC PRAISED FOR PROMOTING FIGHT AGAINST CRIME
THE DISTRICT FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROMOTING THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE YAU TSIM DISTRICT FIGHT CRIME CARNIVAL AT KOWLOON PARK, MR ASPREY SAID THE YAU TSIM DISTRICT FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE (DFCC), WHICH ORGANISED THE CARNIVAL, HAD BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN ORGANISING ACTIVITIES TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC ΤΟ PREVENT AND REPORT CRIME.
AS TO THE OVERALL CRIME PICTURE, HE SAID THE OVERALL CRIME PER 100,000 POPULATION HAD INCREASED BY OVER SEVEN PER CENT LAST YEAR.
"THIS IS OF COURSE A MATTER OF GREAT PUBLIC CONCERN. THE POLICE ARE RESPONDING VIGOROUSLY WITH STEPPED-UP ANTI-CRIME OPERATIONS, AND WE HAVE ALSO LAUNCHED A SPECIAL PUBLICITY DRIVE TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE MEANS OF COMBATTING CRIME, HE SAID.
THOSE EFFORTS WERE YIELDING RESULTS, HE STRESSED, AND THERE WERE ENCOURAGING SIGNS THAT THE CRIME RATE AS WELL AS THE TREND OF VIOLENT CRIME HAD BEGUN TO DROP SINCE THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 1990.
BUT IT IS NO CAUSE FOR COMPLACENCY, HE STRESSED.
/"WE SHALL