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Following is the transcript (English portion) of the remarks made by the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, at a media session at the ground floor lobby of the Central Government Offices, West Wing after the Fight Crime Committee (FCC) meeting this afternoon (September 25):
Secretary for Security: The Fight Crime Committee has reviewed the crime situation of the first eight months of this year. Overall crime has decreased by as much as 2.8%. Violent crime has also recorded a drop of 2.7%. Crimes that have recorded a decrease include miscellaneous theft, theft from vehicle, deception and criminal damage. Crimes that have recorded an increase include burglary, arson, homicide and serious drug offences. By and large, the crime level is at a very comparatively low level and we have also witnessed a decreasing trend and that is evidence that Hong Kong still remains a very safe and secure place in which to live and to work.
Reporter: Would you ask the court to increase the penalty for street deception casesˇK?
Secretary for Security: You mean increasing the penalty? That is something the court has to do. If you are asking whether we should amend the law, of course, we can always review. But I think the present legislation is sufficient. I think depending on the gravity of the case, the judge will hand out the appropriate sentence to the accused.
Reporter: How exactly are the Police dealing with this investigation? And what sort of appeal or warning you have for people?
Secretary for Security: The Police have received a complaint from the bank and we have started investigation. As a matter of fact, the Commercial Crime Bureau has taken up the task. We are now collating the information in hand to see whether we can identify the person or the persons who scatter or pass around this malicious, untrue message. We have, in fact, activated what we call the Super Computer -- the ˇ§MIIDSSˇ¨ (Major Incident Investigation and Disaster Support System) of the Police system. We put all the information there and see whether we can come up with any clue so that we can identify the culprit or any person who passes around this kind of false information. I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to the public that they should not use either the internet or the mobile phone to send malicious or untrue message to disrupt our financial sector.
Reporter: Is there any evidence to suggest this (BEA) case is the work of an individual or a much larger group or perhaps syndicateˇK?
Secretary for Security: At this point, we have no evidence to suggest that this is a syndicated act against the bank, but of course investigation is still ongoing. We have yet to see the final result.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, September 25, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:54
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