Mr Wilford
Parliamentary Office
PS Mr Royle
CONFIDENTIAL
पर
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PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION: SUPERINTENDENT GODBER
Their
1. We have consulted Hong Kong about Mr James Johnson's
written Question which is due to be answered today.
reply is attached.
2. It does not answer the question so I have turned their
draft round without altering the substance. I think it would
also be worth putting a sentence at the end to answer the
critics of the Hong Kong Government's actions.
3. This is the first we knew of any warrant for Super-
intendent Godber. The last time this was mentioned, in a
conversation between the Acting Solicitor General, Hong Kong
and Mr Roberts, Mr Thornton said that no charge had been
brought against Mr Godber and no warrant had been issued. It
is a pity that we were not brought up to date, as we have
continued to say to the press and others that we knew of no
warrant for Mr Godber's arrest. However, the substantial
result is the same, since the charge on which the warrant has
been issued is not one which would permit an application for
Mr Godber's return under the Fugitive Offenders Act.
4. The description of the alleged offence in the draft
answer is technically correct. Section 10 of the Hong Kong
Prevention of Bribery Ordinance provides that "any person who,
being or having been a Crown Servant
is in control of
/pecuniary
CONFIDENTIAL