Missing persons unit acted in a timely manner, police say

Asked to comment on Pat Custer's allegations, a police spokesman said: 'The concerns raised by the deceased's sister are not accurate, but due to the ongoing murder investigation, cannot be addressed in detail.

'The Regional Missing Persons Unit [RMPU] acted in a timely manner in dealing with this inquiry from the moment they received the report. The entire team was actively deployed to follow all possible lines of inquiry which, in addition to checks with the Immigration Department, included: checks with a number of Hong Kong hotels; circulation of the missing person's details to all police stations; inquiries at the missing person's last known locations; escorting the missing person's friend in and around relevant areas in an attempt to locate her; inquiries with taxi consoles; and media assistance was sought to appeal for information from the general public,' the spokesman said.

'These lines of inquiry were actively pursued during the course of the investigation and contact was maintained throughout with the missing person's family and friends by the team, in the hope that new information might materialise.

'As all missing persons reports, including this one, are dealt with care and compassion, the suggestion that RMPU officers were indifferent to this particular case is not correct.

'In addition, it is the coroner who is the authority to issue the death certificate under the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance, Cap 174, Laws of Hong Kong.

'Before issuing of the death certificate, the coroner has to ascertain that the cause of death is established and decide whether a death inquest will be held.