TNAG-0198-FCO40-234-Prevention-of-bribery-bill-1969 — Page 130

XCC(69)32

CONFIDENTIAL

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The Advisory Committee on Corruption felt unable to make any recommendations on the Bill without first considering the advisability or otherwise of the introduction of an Anti-Corruption Bureau which would operate independently from the Police Force. Some officers who had visited Singapore and Ceylon had been impressed with the apparently successful operation of independent Bureaux in these countries and had reported accordingly on their return to Hong Kong. The Committee considered the arguments for and against the introduction of such a bureau in Hong Kong.

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The two main conflicting factors were the reputation and self confidence of the Police Force and the possible adverse effect thereon if an independent bureau was introduced and the need to persuade the public that the problem of corruption was being tackled in a new and radical way.

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The Committee finally recommended that the Branch remain part of the Police Force subject to review after three to five years (Annex B). This will give the Police Force an opportunity to operate the powers contained in the new bill if enacted. The reasons for this recommendation are firstly, the staffing difficulties which would arise in the event of an independent bureau being introduced and secondly, the fact that the reputation and morale of the Police Force as a whole would suffer by the removal of the Branch from its jurisdiction.

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The Committee also recommended that non-police personnel be introduced into the Target Committee and Anti-Corruption Branch, for two main reasons

(a) in order to assist the Police Officers and expedite

procedures;

:

{ (b) it would go some way to meet any public objection

to the retention of the Branch as part of the Police.

The Committee's recommendations on this proposal appear at Annex B.

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It is proposed that the Target Committee should comprise the following -

(a) Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) -

who will sit as Chairman as at present;

(b) Director of Criminal Investigation;

(c) one senior Crown Counsel;

(d) one senior Departmental or Secretariat Officer;

CONFIDENTIAL