XN000022-1987-10-07 — Page 52

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1987

TURNING TO COMMERCIAL CRIME, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE RECENT CONCLUSION OF THE LONGEST AND MOST COMPLEX COURT CASE IN HONG HISTORY HAD FOCUSSED RENEWED PUBLIC ATTENTION ON THIS PROBLEM, WAS ONE ON WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN WORKING FOR SOME TIME.

KONG'8 WHICH

AS

"A DRAFT BILL HAS NOW BEEN PREPARED WHICH WILL IMPLEMENT, FAR AS PRACTICABLE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON COMPLEX COMMERCIAL CRIME WHICH AIM TO IMPROVE THE PREPARATORY STAGE AND THE SUBSEQUENT CONDUCT OF COMPLEX COMMERCIAL TRIALS, HE SAID.

**

THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL BE SOUGHT ON THESE

PROPOSALS."

DEALING WITH CORRUPTION, SIR DAVID SAID THE FIGHT AGAINST THIS HAD CONTINUED WITH SOME SIGNIFICANT SUCCESSES. "REPORTS OF CORRUPTION RECEIVED BY THE ICAC NOW APPEAR TO BE DECLINING, PARTICULARLY IN RESPECT OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE," HE SAID. "ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE HAS BEEN SOME INCREASE IN PROSECUTIONS FOR CORRUPTION AND RELATED OFFENCES AND IN THE NUMBER OF CONVICTIONS RECORDED."

NEW LAW BEING DRAFTED TO CONFISCATE DRUGS MONEY

NEW LEGISLATION IS BEING DRAFTED TO GIVE POWER TO THE COURTS TO CONFISCATE THE PROCEEDS OF DRUG TRAFFICKING, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

IT WAS INTENDED THAT THE LEGISLATION WOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THE COUNCIL DURING THE CURRENT SESSION, HE ADDED WHILE SPEAKING ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF DRUG ABUSE.

ENFORCEMENT OF THE

LAW AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING WAS BEING

RELATION ΤΟ PROSECUTIONS AND TO THE

PURSUED VIGOROUSLY, BOTH IN SEIZURE OF DRUGS, HE SAID.

"WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO STRIKE MORE EFFECTIVELY AT THE FINANCIAL ROOTS OF THE ILLICIT DRUG TRADE, HE POINTED OUT.

CAUSED

SIR DAVID DESCRIBED DRUG ABUSE AS A PROBLEM WHICH HAD MUCH TROUBLE OVER THE YEARS, AND THE LINKED MENACES OF DRUG ADDICTION AND OF DRUG TRAFFICKING HAD NOW REACHED GLOBAL PROPORTIONS.

HE SAID HONG KONG WAS TACKLING THESE LINKED MENACES VIGOROUSLY, AND ITS METHODS AND SUCCESS HAD RECEIVED INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION,

/HONG KONG