TNAG-1606-FCO40-22121-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 68

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2.

As regards statistics on prosecutions, I am

advised by the Secretary for Security that the figures

requested by Mr Cheung are not readily available. The

Commissioner of Police does, however, maintain statistics

on the combined total number of prosecutions under section

24, on the charging of excessive interest rates, and under

section 29, on lending money without a licence. These

statistics show that the number of persons prosecuted

increased from an average of two per month between January

1983 and April 1984 to just under six per month between

May 1984 and February 1987. Statistics on the number of

successful prosecutions are only available from July 1986

onward: these statistics indicate that in the last six

months of 1986 a total of 37 persons were tried on the

principal charge of lending money without a licence or

lending money at an excessive rate of interest; there were

14 convictions representing a conviction rate of about 38

per cent.

3.

Turning to the third part of Mr Cheung's

question, I should point out that the Commissioner of

Police investigates the background and the conduct of

money lenders to prevent and detect offences under the

Ordinance, and he, of course, takes action on reports of

alleged breaches of the Ordinance. As regards new

/measures,