WITNESSES in commercial dispute cases claim memory loss because they fear their businesses will suffer, legislators said.
The police witness protection scheme aimed only to protect witnesses from revenge in the form of violence, Democratic Party legislator Cheung Man-kwong said at yesterday's Legco security panel meeting.
'But those people who testify in business dispute cases will be threatened that they can no longer do business with anyone in their field. Or they could be tempted to 'lose their memory' in order to gain an advantage in business or material gains in return. And the police can do nothing but surrender in these kinds of situation,' he said.
Principal Assistant Secretary for Security, Jack Chan Jick-chi, said those who gave false evidence or used money or material benefits to persuade witnesses to give false evidence were committing an offence.
However, Mr Cheung said the Government had admitted in a document circulated to legislators that the offences were often difficult to prove.
A person cannot be convicted of perjury on the evidence of a single witness.