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The Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and Law Reforms of Sri Lanka, Mr Suhada Gamalath, on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, today (June 16) signed the Agreement between the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peopleˇ¦s Republic of China and the Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
The agreement is the 25th bilateral arrangement of its kind that Hong Kong has signed with other jurisdictions. It contains all the essential features and safeguards of international agreements of this type. Assistance covered by the agreement includes ˇV
* Identifying and locating persons;
* Serving documents;
* Obtaining statements and evidence from persons;
* Executing requests for search and seizure;
* Facilitating the personal appearance of persons to provide assistance;
* Effecting the temporary transfer of persons in custody to provide assistance;
* Providing information, documents, articles and records;
* Tracing, restraining, forfeiting and confiscating the proceeds and instrumentalities of criminal activities;
* Delivery of property, including the restitution of property and lending of exhibits; and
* Other assistance consistent with the objects of the agreement and not inconsistent with the law of the requested party.
The agreement shall enter into force 30 days after the date on which the parties have notified each other in writing that their respective requirements for the entry into force of the agreement have been complied with.
Ends/Monday, June 16, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:05
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