XN000022-1987-11-11 — Page 24

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1987

WHITE BILL SHORTLY ON COMPLEX COMMERCIAL CRIME TRIAL LAW

BE

THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL HAS DECIDED THAT A WHITE BILL WILL

ON THE PROPOSED LAW PUBLISHED

GOVERNING THE TRIAL OF COMPLEX COMMERCIAL CRIMES.

THE

GENERAL, THE

HON

TOLD

THE

(OR A

DRAFT TIME.

ATTORNEY

MICHAEL THOMAS, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT A WHITE BILL BILL FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSION) WILL BE GAZETTED IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS'

SPEAKING DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY PUT FORWARD BY THE ADDRESS, MR THOMAS SAID THE 57 RECOMMENDATIONS SELECT COMMITTEE ON COMPLEX COMMERCIAL

COVERED ADMINISTRATIVE AS WELL AS LEGISLATIVE MATTERS.

CRIME

A NUMBER OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO EFFECT BY ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS.

HAD ALREADY BEEN CARRIED

A GREAT DEAL OF WORK HAD BEEN DONE ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIRING LEGISLATION.

TO IMPLEMENT

THE

BROAD

WILL

OPPORTUNITY

ΤΟ

"ALTHOUGH THE BILL SEEKS RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE, ITS DETAILED PROVISIONS

INTERESTED PARTIES MUST BE NEW AND

BE GIVEN THE COMMENT ON THEM, HE SAID.

++

ΤΟ

WAS MR THOMAS SAID NO ONE WOULD DISPUTE THAT IT

IMPORTANT FINANCIAL CENTRE AN INTERNATIONAL

SUCH AS HONG KONG TO POSSESS EFFICIENT MEANS OF COMBATTING AND PUNISHING COMMERCIAL CRIME.

"AS A MATTER OF FACT THE GOVERNMENT HAS DEVOTED CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES TO THE FIGHT AGAINST COMMERCIAL CRIME IN RECENT YEARS.

"IT WAS ONLY IN

1980 THAT MY PREDECESSOR FIRST SET UP A IN THE COMMERCIAL CRIME UNIT

THE PROSECUTIONS DIVISION OF

LEGAL DIRECTORATE OFFICER AND DEPARTMENT BY ASSIGNING TO THAT UNIT A COUNSEL. PRIOR TO THAT, COMMERCIAL CRIME HAD TO COMPDETE FOR TIME ATTENTION WITH OTHER SERIOUS CRIMES, HE SAID.

"

TWO

AND

OFFICERS AND 15 OTHER

IN PARALLELLED

THE ROYAL THE ICAC HAD TAKEN ON

TODAY, THE UNIT HAD EIGHT DIRECTORATE EXPERIENCED COUNSEL. THIS GROWTH HAD BEEN HONG KONG POLICE FORCE AND, IN RECENT YEARS, MAJOR CASES INVOLVING CORRUPTION.

ACCOUNTANTS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR WERE INVESTIGATE CASES AND AS EXPERT WITNESSES.

ALSO BROUGHT IN то

BUT I "OF COURSE THE FIGHT AGAINST COMMERCIAL CRIME IS COSTLY

MEMBERS DO AM SURE

NOT WISH TO ALLOW

SAVINGS AND HONG KONG'S INVESTMENTS, BIG OR SMALL, TO BE PLUNDERED WITH IMPUNITY," HE SAID.

/TURNING TO ...