TNAG-0683-FCO40-832-Political-aspects-of-administration-of-justice-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 12

21

2

3

2.

some of whom handled financial operations of a corruptive syndicate on a large scale and other witnesses will be largely from banks through which Crown alleges corruptive syndicate money passed and during period of months in 1972-1973 no less than 6 bank accounts maintained on behalf of syndicate and sums of $2.6 million passed through accounts during that period. Crown further alleges two defendants can be shown to be connected to syndicate by virtue of having been recipients of bank drafts sent out to numbered account s

abroad. Evidence will be led to connect defendants with those numbered

bank accounts. Evidence relating to 36 separate sets of bank drafts - D1 was in receipt of $1.2 million crafts and D2 was in receipt of drafts up to $100,000. Estimate Crown would take 6 weeks a

substantial number of documents will be put before Court at the

trial. Oppose present bail for defendant s they were arrest last

Tuesday morning and in view of typhoon bulletins then prevailing they were brought before magistrate last Tuesday p.m. ICAC officers have no power to detain defendants more than 48 hours and Wednesday was a public holiday and on that basis I asked for remand of 2

defendants until Tuesday.

Hy request was declined by the learned magistrate and he saw

fit to release the 2 defendants on a personal surety of $20,000 and one surety of $20,000. I did not have an opportunity of placing

before the Court matters I have placed before Your Honour as to

scale of alleged conspiracy or of extent which Crown alleges 2

defendants were involved. Ask Your Honour to have regard to these

2 matters in determining the appropriate amount of bail, which should

be set before this matter comes for trial. Having regard to mass of

documents adduced by Crown I can appreciate that legal advisers for both defendants will require some considerable time to prepare

their defences.

Mr. Hampton: Apply for bail on behalf of 1st Defendant. Apart

from present circumstances of accuscd feel there are several matters

which affect grant of bail. Instructed that Summary of Evidence will

not be produced until after 1 month accompanied by mass of documents. If bail were to be set at an amount which makes it impossible