TNAG-0799-FCO40-1003-Dispute-over-closure-of-Precious-Blood-Golden-Jubilee-Second-1978 — Page 81

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18.

It is clear to the Committee that financial

misappropriation did take place and that a number of the

teachers were the first to gather information on this,

subsequently disclosing their findings to the Independent

Commission Against Corruption in February 1977.

19.

It should be noted that an Action Committee on

schools trading activities and textbooks, set up by the

Education Department, has been in existence since December

1974. This body, which promises speedy action in response

to complaints and whose services have been widely publicised,

has apparently enjoyed considerable confidence among schools.

Up to February 1977, the Action Committee had already handled

a total of 409 cases. Whilst financial irregularities had

existed in the Precious Blood Golden Jubilee Secondary

School long before February 1977 and the investigations

conducted by some of the teachers must have started some

time before the disclosure, no complaint had ever been made

to the Education Department's Action Committee.

20.

A situation of confrontation immediately came into

being when, on the 5th April 1977 two of the teachers,

Mr. Chan Chung-ling and Ms. Fan May-yung, confronted Sister

Leung regarding their findings. From this point on, the

School Management and the Precious Blood Congregation were

put in a defensive position. Anxious to incriminate themselves

as little as possible, particularly from the legal point

of view, the School Management and the Precious Blood

Congregation were understandably guarded in their response.

The line taken apparently increased the insistence from the

teachers for full explanation and rectification. On the 14th and 15th April 1977, the Management Committee, at a

meeting with all the teachers and subsequently in writing,

/admitted

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