IMMEDIATE CYPHER CAT/A
GPS 250
CONEIDENTIAL
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY Na 51
FM HONG KONG 180840Z.
18 JUL 1975
147
TOP CO
CONFIDENTIAL
HKIL 14/1
TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 712 OF 18 JULY INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON (F C O PLEASE PASS),
YOUR TELEGRAM NO 560: PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS.
LA T
Ktt.
145-
THE ANSWER TO QUESTION (1) IS 'NO'. HOWEVER, THE QUESTION
CLEARLY RELATES TO
POSITION AND YOU MIGHT CONSIDER IT
APPROPRIATE TO DEAL WITH IT IN YOUR ANSWER, WE THINK THOUGH
THAT THE SHORT ANSWER IS THE RIGHT ONE.
2. IN RESPONSE TO NUMEROUS PRESS ENQUIRIES DURING THE WEEK IN WHICH GODBER'S TRIAL ENDED, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN GAVE THE
FOLLOWING ANSWER ON 28 FEBRUARY:
QUOTE.
WISHED TO LEAVE HONG KONG AS SOON AS HE WAS
RELEASED FROM PRISON. BY THAT TIME, IT HAD BECOME CLEAR THAT THERE WAS NO POSSIBILITY OF HIS GIVING EVIDENCE IN MR GODBER'S
TRIAL BEFORE HE LEFT HONG KONG FOLLOWING HIS RELEASE FROM PRISON
AND THAT HE WOULD, THEREFORE, HAVE TO RETURN TO HONG KONG TO
GIVE EVIDENCE. CONSEQUENTLY, HE ASKED WHETHER, IF HE RETURNED
TO HONG KONG, HE WOULD BE FREE TO LEAVE AGAIN. HE WAS INFORMED
THAT HE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE WITHOUT RESTRAINT. IN THE
LIGHT OF THIS UNDERSTANDING, IT WAS DECIDED THAT
NOT BE ASSESSED FOR TAX. UNQUOTE.
SHOULD
WE REALISE OF COURSE THAT YOU WOULD NOT INCLUDE THIS IN AN
ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IN PRECISELY THIS FORM.
3. YOU WILL RECOLLECT THAT
AGREED TO GIVE EVIDENCE AGAINST
GODBER WHILE HE WAS SERVING HIS SENTENCE FOR HIS OFFENCE UNDER SECTION 10(1)(A) OF THE PREVENTION OF BRIBERY ORDINANCE.
4. THE UNDERSTANDING REACHED WITH
AS TO HIS BEING ALLOWED TO LEAVE WITHOUT RESTRAINT AFTER GIVING EVIDENCE WAS COMMUNICATED BY FRENCH, COUNSEL FOR THE CROWN, TO GODBER'S COUNSEL BEFORE THE TRIAL BEGAN. SOME PLAY WAS MADE OF THE UNDERSTANDING IN RELATION
TAX POSITION DURING THE TRIAL.
TO
CONFIDENTIAL
15. UNDER
в шка
Whed & HKH 14/24