Police on trail of false messengers
The police commercial crime bureau began investigating the spreading of rumours about Bank of East Asia's financial status after receiving a report from the bank on Tuesday night.
A police source said they were chasing the origin of the false messages spread by mobile phones and stressed there were ordinances to deal with such offenders. But if someone sent a financial recommendation to friends without malicious or criminal intent, using a mobile-phone short messaging service, it could not be classified as criminal.
From the early evidence, the police source close to the investigation said the case did not seem to involve the organised spreading of a rumour.
A veteran detective said the Technology Crime Division could track the origin of a text message.
A police spokesman said anyone who transmitted a false message could be in breach of the Summary Offences Ordinance and Telecommunications Ordinance.
They could face a HK$1,000 fine and two months' imprisonment under the former ordinance, or a fine of HK$10,000 and two years' imprisonment under the latter ordinance.
