XN000022-1976-12-11 — Page 5

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1976

APPEALING YET FURTHER FOR MORE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN

ORGANISATIONS, THE 1.C.A.C. DIRECTOR CONCEDED THAT EACH DEPARTMENT OR SERVICE HAD ITS OWN +ESPRIT DE CORPS+, ITS OWN PRIDE, BUT +THIS NEED NEVER BE LESSENED OR ERODED IN ANY WAY BY CO-OPERATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.+

ON CORRUPTION, MR. PRENDERGAST TOLD THE OFFICERS THAT THEY WOULD BE TEMPTED AND EVEN PRESSURED INTO IT AND URGED THEM TO STRONGLY RESIST INVOLVEMENT.

+ I HAVE NOW SEEN THE RESULTS OF CORRUPTION IN SOME DEPTH AND I HAVE SEEN THE MISERY WHICH IT CAN CAUSE BOTH TO THE GIVER AND THE TAKER, + HE SAID. +1 ASK YOU TO THINK OF YOUR FAMILIES, THINK OF YOUR CHILDREN. AGAIN I SAY TO YOU NEVER START BECAUSE THE FIRST BRIBE TAKEN IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END. I WILL FINISH THIS PIECE OF ADVICE WITH THE PROMISE THAT IF YOU IGNORE IT, THERE IS AN INCREASING LIKELIHOOD THAT YOU WILL BE CAUGHT.

+1.C.A.C, IS GETTING BETTER EVERYDAY AND YOU ARE VERY UNLIKELY FOR LONG TO ESCAPE THE NET' OF CO-OPERATION BETWEEN OUR TWO ORGANISATIONS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION.+

MR. PRENDERGAST THEN SPOKE ABOUT 1.C.A.C. AND STRONGLY REFUTED SUGGESTIONS THAT THERE MAY BE ONE LAW FOR THE STAFF OF THE COMMISSION AND ANOTHER FOR OTHER PEOPLE.+

+LET ME ASSURE YOU THAT THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT SO. 1.C.A.C. OFFICERS ARE SUBJECT TO THE LAWS OF HONG KONG IN JUST THE SAME WAY AS ANY OTHER CITIZEN, MR. PRENDERGAST SAID.

+THERE NEVER HAS BEEN AND NEVER WILL BE ANY QUESTION OF A COVER-UP,+ HE ASSURED.

+1.0.A.C. PERSONNEL ARE EVEN MORE CLOSELY MONITORED THAN ARE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE, HE ADDED.

MR. PRENDERGAST ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMISSIONER OF I.C.A.C. HAS THE POWER UNDER THE 1.C.A.C. ORDINANCE TO TERMINATE THE APPOINTMENT OF AN OFFICER WITHOUT ANY REASON, PROVIDED THE COMMISSIONER IS SATISFIED THAT IT IS IN THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMISSION TO DO SO.

+THIS MAY SEEM AN EXCEPTIONAL POWER BUT IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I THINK IT IS A NECESSARY ONE. IF FOR ANY REASON CONFIDENCE HAS BEEN LOST IN AN OFFICER, HE SHOULD BE REMOVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,+ HE SAID.

+THE COMMISSIONER HAS HAD OCCASSION TO EXERCISE THIS POWER IN A NUMBER OF INSTANCES. I THINK IT WILL BE ACCEPTED THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO BE DONE TO ENSURE THAT THE I.C.A.C. IS ITSELF CLEAN IN ALL ASPECTS. THERE CAN BE NO RELAXATION OF VIGILANCE AND THERE CAN BE NO HALF MEASURE,+ MR. PRENDERGAST SAID.

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