XN000022-1987-06-17 — Page 21

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1987

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TRIADS RESPONSIBLE FOR 20 PER CENT OF DETECTED BLACKMAIL CASES

ABOUT 20 PER CENT OF ALL DETECTED BLACKMAIL CASES REPORTED FROM 1984 TO MAY 1987 WERE TRIAD RELATED, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON MRS RITA FAN, JEAFFRESON SAID IT COULD BE REASONABLY SURE OF A TRIAD BACKGROUND ONLY IN DETECTED CASES OF BLACKMAIL.

HE POINTED OUT THAT WHERE THE CASE WAS REPORTED BUT NOT DETECTED, IT COULD NOT TELL WHETHER OR NOT TRIADS HAD BEEN INVOLVED.

WITH REGARD TO THE NUMBER OF PROSECUTIONS INSTITUTED BY THE POLICE, MR JEAFFRESON SAID VIRTUALLY ALL DETECTED CASES WERE PROSECUTED. IN ADDTION, THERE WOULD BE OTHER CASES WHERE BLACKMAIL WAS SUBORDINATE TO ANOTHER CHARGE SUCH AS WOUNDING OR ASSAULT.

"IN SUCH CASES ONLY THE MORE SERIOUS CHARGE WILL BE STATISTICALLY," HE ADDED.

REFLECTED

MR JEAFFRESON SAID DETAILED STATISTICS. OF THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS AND THE SENTENCES IMPOSED WERE NOT AVAILABLE PRIOR то JULY 1986 WHEN THE NEW STANDARD LAW AND ORDER STATISTICAL SYSTEM WAS INTRODUCED.

ACCORDING TO THE JUDICIARY'S STATISTICS, HE SAID THAT THERE WERE 215 OFFENDERS CONVICTED FROM A TOTAL OF 383 WHO WERE ON PRINCIPAL CHARGES OF BLACKMAIL FROM JULY 1986 TO MARCH 1987, REPRESENTING A CONVICTION RATE OF 56.1 PER CENT.

HE NOTED THAT THE NUMBER OF OFFENDERS CONVITED AND THOSE WHO WERE SENTENCED DURING THE PERIOD WAS DIFFERENT BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE CONVICTED OF BLACKMAIL AS THE PRINCIPAL CHARGE IN FACT RECEIVED A LONGER SENTENCE FOR A SUBORDINATE CHARGE OF, SAY WOUNDING. THUS THE BLACKMAIL SENTENCE WOULD NOT BE REFLECTED IN THE STATISTICS, HE ADDED.

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