A telegraphic transfer of over a million rupees in connexion with the smuggling of raw opium into Hongkong, was narrated in the Magis trate's court when Chan Char Chin was charged with illicit importation of this drug from Persia, The Gefendant ig a responsible employee in several firms, all in No. 108 Des, Voeux Road, Central, first floor. The shipment was made in two consign-. ments between 1925 and August 1926, Witnesses from a cable company and from two banks were Subpoenacd to substantiate the charge. This procedure was strongly objected to by Mr. M. K, Lo, solicitor for the defence. The prosecution, he said, ought to make out the charge on documents seized, Mr. Lloyd, Superintendent of Imports and Exports replied that it was helpful to "his case to have eubpoonacd evidence, as this was done on a former occasion. The magistrate overruled the objection of Mz, Lo, who remarked that his objection was not the calling of the subpoonaed evidence but to the time and stage at which it was called.
The first witness, manager of the Bank of Canton, testified concerning the accounts kept under the name of a firm where the defendant is employed. The compradore of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank stated under oath that 1,021,853 rupees were remitted through his bank on behalf of one of the firm where Chan Char-chin is employed, The manager of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company produced telegrams exchanged between Hongkong and Persia, which were all income. He hoped to decipher them and to ascertain the resi meaning of the contents, The case was remanded for a week when the decoding of the cables will be carried out,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.