XN000022-1995-07-28 — Page 65

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Organized and Serious Crimes (Amendment) Bill 1995

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, at the second reading of the Organized and Serious Crimes (Amendment) Bill 1995 in the Legislative Council today (Friday):

Mr President,

I should also like to thank the Chairman of the Bills Committee, the Hon James To, and other Members of the Bills Committee for their thorough consideration of the Organised and Serious Crimes (Amendment) Bill 1995. All the Committee stage amendments which I am going to move were, again, discussed and agreed by the Bills Committee.

The confiscation and money laundering provisions of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance were modelled on the provisions of the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance. To maintain compatibility and to achieve effective enforcement, the present Bill proposes amendments to the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance similar to those proposed for the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance.

. I have just explained the Committee stage amendments to the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) (Amendment) Bill; similar amendments will also be proposed to the Organized and Serious Crimes (Amendment) Bill. I am pleased that these amendments have the support of the Bills Committee.