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PART E
Telephone: 01-940 9214
(28)
315
322
Mr Anthony Royle, MP,
20 Bishops Close, Ham Common Richmond
Surrey.
17 October 1973
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London S.W.^.
Dear Mr Royle
IN
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Rec. and Ack. 19/10/73. HKIQ...... Department for draft reply please
Mr
ghom mr Royle.
(213)
I learned today that the Governor of Hongkong, Sir Murray MacLehose, has created an anti-corruption department independent of police control. This is in many ways a tremendous step forward in the right direction although in itself it poses some dangers, particularly having in mind some of the recommendations in the Second Report of Sir Alistair Blair-Kerr. The creation of this department should not, however, be in any way regarded as the panacea. The problem of organised corruption in the Hongkong Government will not be solved until attitudes to corruption have been re-thought, until an externally- appointed judicial commission of inquiry has examined with wide terms of reference the nature and extent of organised corruption and mal- administration in the colony. Only when the nature and scale of the problem has been defined can the correct measures be introduced to contain or destroy the problem. Sir Alistair's totally out-of-touch recommendation that Establishment Regulation 303 should be redrafted or revoked shows precisely why this is so, and I will be writing to the Governor shortly to point this out to him.
As you know, on 2nd July, at your private secretary's invitation, I met Mr Michael Macoun to discuss my case and the general issue of police corruption, as the result of which meeting I understood Mr Macoun to be making recommendations. What these recommendations were I know not but if they in any way concern my case I would appreciate knowing what action if any the Government intends to take. If no action is intended then I would appreciate having from your office the answers to the question raised again by me in my letter to you of 22nd May.
Yours sincerely
All fur
аи
ALAN ELLIS