RESTRICTED
Mr Johnson was confidant that
Kong when he was found out. HMG would get him back to Hong Kong if they could.
There were, however, many other cases. In 1963 a police officer called Wallace and some of his friends had tried to do something about corruption in Hong Kong. There had been an internal
investigation, but with little result, and Wallace had then been ostracized. In 1965 the Reform Club had initiated an Enquiry. In 1966 Mrs Elsie Elliott had raised the matter with various MPs. Now, in 1973, informed public opinion on the matter was building up. Godber was not an isolated case.
He could not do what he had done on his own - there was evidently some kind of network of corruption. He understood that the Blair-Kerr Report had criticised certain aspects of Police
laxity.
4. Mr Johnson believed that the Governor and Commissioner of Folice were highly respected and doing a good job. He had not yet seen the Blair-Kerr Report, but he believed that matters had now gone beyond the need for just an internal Hong Kong Enquiry. What was needed was a judicial Commission of Enquiry appointed in this country to investigate organised corruption in the Colony. It should be headed by a man of unquestioned integrity. He thought that Lord Devlin was the right sort of person. Members might include an IP from each of the 3 Parties, and people with wide police experience, for example the Inspector General of Colonial Police. There should be nobody on the Commission directly connected with Hong Kong, in order to ensure its complete independence. If such an Enquiry was not instituted, matters would get worse.
"
and Cave
He
5. Mr Amery thanked Mr Johnson for what he had said him a copy of the First Report of the Blair-Kerr Commission. would of course think over what Mr Johnson had said. But to appoint a Commission of Enquiry in this country might be seen es calling in question the authority of the Governor; this could have repercussions internationally.
6. Mr Johnson agreed. He said that if he got any letters on the subject, he would send the Minister copies. A number of newspapers were in touch with him, and so were the BBC and ITV. The BBC were making a documentary film on Hong Kong, in which the Godber case was likely to figure. Mr Johnson said he would respect the confidentiality of the present discussions; he would simply tell the Press that he had seen the Minister and suggested a judicial enquiry.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
10 August 1973