XN000022-1988-12-14 — Page 26

24

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1988

"

"THIS IS THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME SUCH PLACE, HE

ALMOST

AN ZERO

SAID, ATTRIBUTING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE STRICT REGULATIONS.

INCIDENT HAS TAKEN TO THE OCCURRENCE

THERE WAS NO REASON TO SUSPECT THAT IT WOULD DO SO AGAIN.

MR BARNES SAID THE FORCES, HOWEVER, HAD REVIEWED THOROUGHLY

HAD THEIR PROCEDURES FOR DUMPING UNWANTED STORES AND

IMPROVED THEIR SUPERVISORY PRACTICES TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS NO RECURRENCE.

10,

RECOUNTING THE ACTIONS TAKEN AFTER THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED, MR BARNES SAID A MILITARY SEARCH WAS UNDERTAKEN ON NOVEMBER

SMALL DURING WHICH ITEMS, INCLUDING

EXPLOSIVE DETECTORS CONTAINING SULPHURIC ACID, WERE DISCOVERED.

HE SAID THE ITEMS

HAD BEEN

DUMPED ILLEGALLY AT SEA, THUS

CONTRAVENING BOTH MILITARY AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS.

IT WAS THOUGHT THAT THIS DUMPING WAS CARRIED OUT BY JUNIOR MILITARY PERSONNEL.

BY THE

"IN ANY CASE, AN INVESTIGATION IS NOW BEING UNDERTAKEN ROYAL MILITARY POLICE TO IDENTIFY THE PERSON OR PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MISDEMEANOUR," MR BARNES SAID.

"ANY PERSON THUS IDENTIFIED WILL BE DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS."

SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATE

THE

AND

MR BARNES NOTED THAT OVER THE 10 DAYS FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT, THEIR THE MILITARY AUTHORITIES CONTINUED

SEARCH OF LAMMA AND AND THE STANLEY SURROUNDING AREA, INCLUDING THE PO TOI ISLANDS CHUNG HOM KOK PENINSULAS.

AND IT WAS AND AFFECTED

"NO FURTHER EQUIPMENT WAS FOUND DURING THE SEARCH CONCLUDED THAT ONLY ONE AREA ON LAMMA ISLAND HAD DEEN THAT THE AREA HAD ITSELF BEEN FULLY CLEARED, MR BARNES SAID.

"IN ANY CASE, THE CONFIGURATION OF WINDS AND TIDES PREVAILING AT THE TIME WHEN THE ITEMS WERE DUMPED WOULD MAKE IT MOST UNLIKELY THAT ANY ITEMS WOULD HAVE BEEN CARRIED ELSEWHERE.

1

ON THE POLICE WERE INFORMED OF THE INCIDENT

NOVEMBER 10 AND TOOK IMMEDIATE STEPS TO ISSUE WARNINGS ΤΟ THE PUBLIC, INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE EQUIPMENT, AND WARNINGS WERE ALSO ISSUED THROUGH THE MEDIA, MR BARNES CONTINUED.

AS

ITEMS, RESIDENTS OF LAMMA ISLAND WERE ADVISED NOT TO TOUCH THE

LOCATION TO THE POLICE AS SOON IF FOUND, BUT TO REPORT THEIR POSSIBLE, BUT NO FURTHER DISCOVERIES WERE REPORTED.

"THE FORCES WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION, HOWEVER, AND TO CARRY OUT PERIODIC SEARCHES OF LIKELY AREAS, MR BARNES SAID.

/DESCRIBING THE