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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1987

RELATIONS

NEW

THE WORK OF THE COMMUNITY

DEPARTMENT BROLL GROUND IN 1986 IN A NUMBER OF AREAS, FOR MANY YEARS THE DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE ACADEMIC STAFF OF SCHOOLS AND TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN PROMOTING NOT ONLY THE ANTI-CORRUPTION MESSAGE AMONGST STUDENTS, BUT ALSO A CLEARER APPRECIATION OF SOCIAL AND MORAL ALUES.

THE FIRST AND CIVIC

IN 1986 THIS WAS AUGMENTED BY THE INTRODUCTION OF THE FIRST STRUCTURED TEACHING MATERIAL FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND ALSO FORMAL GATHERING, ORGANISED BY THE COMMISSION, OF MORAL EDUCATION CO-ORDINATORS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS, SHE NOTED.

TURNING TO CORRUPTION PREVENTION, MRS CHOW SAID FEATURE OF THE WORK OF THE CORRUPTION PREVENTION DEPARTMENT WAS THE EXPANSION OF SERVICES TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

A NOTABLE IN 1986

"THERE IS STILL SOME RELUCTANCE IN THAT ARKA TO SREK ADVICE FROM THE ICAC, BUT THIS HAS RECENTLY IMPROVED AS THE

DEPARTMENT'S ADIVSORY SERVICES GROUP HAS BECOME MORE ESTABLISHED, AND IT 13 HOPED THAT THE FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL SERVICES WHICH THEY OFFER WILL BECOME BETTER KNOWN AND USED MORE WIDELY IN THE FUTURE, SHE SAID.

ALREADY BEEN OCCURRED APPARENT FOR STANDARD

SHE ADDED THAT TO SOME EXTENT THIS HAD IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY WHERE THE NEED BECAME RULES OF CONDUCT WHICH COULD BE FOLLOWED BY BANKS AND DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.

AND

IN CLOSE CO-OPERATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF BANKING THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, A CODE OF CONDUCT WAS FORMULATED WHICH WAS SUBSQUENTLY PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.

MRS CHOW NOTED THAT ICAC COMMISSIONER HAD, IN THE REVIEW CHAPTER OF THE REPORT, COMMENTED ON THE SENTENCES HANDED DOWN BY THE COURTS. ALTHOUGH IN 1986, THE PROPORTION OF ACTUAL JAIL SENTENCES WAS HIGHER THAN IN 1985, THE COURTS ALSO AWARDED A HIGHER PROPORTION OF SUSPENDED SENTENCES 35 PER CENT AS AGAINST 27 PER CENT IN 1985.

—

"MRS S. L. CHEN AND I SHARE THE COMMISSIONER'S VIEW THAT, FROM A DETERRENT ASPECT, THE VALUE OF A SUSPENDED SENTENCE IS NOT ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY APPARENT, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY CASES WHERE SUCH SENTENCES ARE APPROPRIATE," SHE SAID.

VIEWPOINT THERE APPARENTLY LENIENT FOR WHITE COLLAR OFFENDERS NOR TO

SHE SAID THAT CERTAINLY FROM THE COMMISSION'S WAS OCCASIONAL CONCERN ABOUT DISPROPORTIONATE OR SENTENCES WHICH WERE SOMETIMES GIVEN BY THE COURTS CRIMES, WHICH SERVED NEITHER TO DETER POTENTIAL SIGNIFY THE SERIOUS NATURE OF CORRUPTION OFFENCES.

/"BUT I

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