(3001) Dd.145244 400m 8/73 L.Ltd. Gp.839
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry
No. HKK 14/17
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
DRAFT
LETTER
To:-
Sir John Tilney MP House of Commons London SW1
Type 1 +
FROM
Mr Anthony Royle
Telephone No. Ext.
・
Department
Silent copy to:
Governor,
Hong Kong
(with copy of letter under reply)
Thank you for your letter of 18 October enclosing an extract from the second Blair-Kerr Report, dealing Concerning with the Fugitive Offenders Act. I am sending for
your retention a copy of the published report together
with a copy of the Governor's speech to the
Legislative Council on 17 October in which, amongst
other things, he comments on the Blair-Kerr Report.
The first point to make (is as Murray MacLehose has
indicated in his speech that the Fugitive
Offenders Act would not prevent a person charged with
actual corruption from being brought to trial in
Hong Kong. I have a great deal of sympathy with
Sir Alastair Blair-Kerr's views on Mr Godber's
evasion of prosecution. However, it is the lack of
evidence of an extraditable offence, which, together
with the failure to hold him in Hong Kong, has led
to this situation.
As you know the main reason why Mr Godber cannot be
returned to Hong Kong is that the only offence with
which he has been charged, namely the possession of
unexplained wealth by a public officer, does not
constitute an offence under English law.
Under the
/double