DA
EXPRESS Friday July 27 1973
PETER GODBER
Astonishing official report says corruption squad traced £330,000 in foreign bank accounts-six times his earnings over 21 years
Fugitive police chief's fortune
Kevin Sinclair
HONG KONG Thursday
POLICE CHIEF Peter Godber had amassed a £330,000 fortune when he fled from Hong Kong last month, a judge said today.
That was six times his total salary since 1952.
It was reports of his wealth that set off a bribery investiga- tion.
Police wanted to arrest him at once, said Judge Alastair Blair-Kerr.
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But he was given a week to prepare an answer during which he slipped out of Hong Kong and flew to Britain.
Mr. Godber, now living with his wife in a cottage at Iden Lock. near Rye, Sussex. once pounded the beat in Hastings before rising to chief superin- tendent in the colonial force.
Clues
In his 31-page report today Sir Alastair outlines how anti- corruption detectives had built up their case.
The chief clues were in two files of documents.
One, found in Mrs. Godber's bedroom wardrobe, detailed her husband's fortune of more 4 million Hong Kong
The police chief's cottage near Rye, Sussex
dollars. The other was a list of the colony's vice dens, found in the boot of his car.
He had money deposited in banks in six countries, includ- ing £19,906 at Barclay's Rye- branch.
But there was no evidence that 51-year-old Mr. Godber lived beyond his means.
"Indeed. all the evidence pointed the other way, namely that he lived frugally, employed a part-time amah [servant], did little entertaining and had few friends," said the report.
After 21 years in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, Peter Godber was known as á hard man. In the 1967 Communist
riots, he faced scores of ram- paging Reds single-handed.
But on the morning of June 4, during the daily con- ference of high-ranking officers, he showed another side of his character.
For he found it was his future being discussed. And when he was handed a letter from the Attorney-General to the anti-corruption squad say- ing he was suspected of cor- ruption-Godber fainted.
of
The Police Director Operations, Roy Henry, caught him as he fell.
Detectives went with Godber and his lawyer to search his
flat and car. He wanted to tele- phone his wife. The request was denied.
Before the search, inquiries into Godber's money had been going on quietly for months.
But even the corruption experts were taken aback when they found notes in Godber's handwriting indicating the extent of his wealth.
He had thousands in Cali- fornia, Ontario, and Singapore. Most of it appeared to have flowed into his various accounts between 1970 and this year-in an ever-increasing flood, said the report.
Godber had been the No. 2 policeman in charge of the densely populated Kowloon city. across the harbour from Hong Kong island.
Vice
It is one of the most packed areas on the face of the globe, and in the teeming tenements. every form of vice is available. Gambling, prostitution-with thousands of young Chinese girls held as sex slaves-drugs, pornography, Chinese gangs selling protection.
From his sanctuary in Sussex, Godber and his wife, Jean, wrote to their friends- Acting Chief Superintendent David Lloyd and Mrs. Lindy Lloyd-asking them to tie up the loose ends they left behind. In a letter to Lloyd. Godber strikes an ironic, note,
Instructing him to send his kitchen ware, furniture and clothes by sea, Godber warns : "Await shipment by a non-conference
(it's ship cheaper),
The letter added: "If it this resignation) is refused, then they must please themselves, out I am no longer-sadly--a policeman because it is still a good force."
Jean Godber left for Britain shortly before her husband's flight.
In a letter to Mrs. Lloyd, also quoted in the report, she asks her to remind Godber not to forget the travellers' cheques in the big fridge."
Sir
Escape
But this warning was in vain. The cash was found by the searching detectives.
Alastair's report says more should have been done to prevent Godber's escape.
But he stressed the police were eager to have Godber arrested.
Ironically, it was the pro- vision in the law that forced the Attorney-General to give Godber a chance to explain.
Tonight, police officials con- firmed that other senior policemen in the Colony-also British-are being investigated.
The tall poppies are about to be plucked," one man said. The Hong Kong Govern- ment plans to hurry through a law next week plugging the loophole that allowed Godber to escape.
IN RYE, Mrs. Godber said her husband was away. ** I know nothing about it," she said.
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