XN000022-1974-01-18 — Page 4

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Friday, January 18, 1974

PREVENTION OF BRIBERY BILL

Toe Published Next Week

A draft bill is to be published in the Gazette on Tuesday, seeking

to amend the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

The bill is intended to transfer powers of investigation from the

Director of the Anti-Corruption Office to the Commissioner of the now

Independent Commission Against Corruption, and to implement certain recom-

mendations made by Sir Alastair Blair-Kerr in his second report.

Included among the new provisions is one which empowers a court to order the confiscation of a sum not exceeding the amount of the unexplained wealth of a person convicted under section 10 (1) (b) of the ordinance.

The bill will also provide that the assets of a suspect may be

'frozen' during the period of investigation, restraining him - or any third

party acting for him from dealing with or disposing of those assets without

consent.

The assets of any person shown to have a close relationship with a

person accused of being in control of unexplained wealth can be regarded as

part of the wealth of the accused

-

if there is reason to believe that those

assets were held in trust for, on behalf of or as a gift from the accused.

Under the new legislation, the failure to answer a notice calling

on a suspect to give information about his financial affairs will be an offence,

as will a reply which is deliberately false.

The powers ****