'IILE GARDIAN
Wednesday March 28 1973
MP alleges Hongkong police graft
By PETER HARVEY
Mr James Johnson, Labour MP for Hull West, and a group of recently retired Hongkong police and Govern- ment officials have begu a campaign to force Whitehall to set up an inquiry into allegations of widespread graft and corruption within the colony's civil servicc.
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Mr Johnson has tabled a Commons question to the Foreigu Secretary today demanding that the Government act in response to the growing disquiet in Hongkong at the allegations of corrup- tion within the police service the situation out there... it is and various Government
getting worse. I have been told departments."
by very well-placed contacts in Government service that official Mr Johnson said he had been corruption exists, and that noth attempting to get an inquiry | ing-apparently-is being dovo under way into the situation in 'abont it at a local level? Hongkong since 1967. "But the Government has always refused to listen even though my infor mation was coming from a great many very concerned people in the administration out there."
the campaign by another former Mr Ellis has been joined in police inspector, retired magistrafe and a retired a recently Hongkong civil servant. All are now living in this country,
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Yesterday, a former Hong- kong police inspector, Mr Alan other ex-ollicers and civil ser. 'What I want now is for Ellis, told the Guardian: "It vants here in Britain to come is appalling that the situation forward and lend their support, in Hongkong has been tolerated There could be many people for so long I believe and here who know what has been auspect that organised vice going on but there, and they rings are paying protection fured want it stopped," he said, money to polico olleers, and any officer who tries to stop it can find himself in trouble
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"Pormer Hongkong Govern- hent attirink who have peb dence of corruption and mol- their stupport for an externity administration Khonde indicate
adminkstered commissimi of Foreign and Commonwealth inquiry by confueting the
Office.
Hongkong's Heading paper, the China Mail, has also begun a campaign to force an investigation into corruption inside the police and various other Government departments. An opinion poll conducted by the newspaper last week Mr Ellis said he had evidence revealed overwhelming public of" ostracism, intimidation, and support for the Inquiry—and punishment meted out to ofli resulted in hundreds of com- cers Who opposed internal plaints from residents about prganised graft and waladminis official corruption.
tration in the force.”
A Hongkong police sergeant,
He said this behaviour was hst week began
condoned by at least two senior sue the colony's
Government officials, and that Awurney veneral, alleging that information and records relat he was unfairly demoted from ing to one particular case he the rank of police inspector d personal knowledge of were after refusing to pay graft to a
suppressed and destroyed to senior officer in the police train. avoid the emergence of the ing school at Aberdeen.
truth."
Mr Johnson said yesterday that he was 'in no doubt about
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from the force in 1903-" only Mr Ellis said he was dismissed a year after I was given the Corco's Baton of HonoUT partly for refusing to recrive I graft
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"I was bifermi a 9500 bill by ju elvillan in my Kowlona polter station. He did not tell me what The nummey Wir for but inst breptioned two initiat These were the initiale of a login ranking oliver in the force,
"Obviously, mủ thụ thu p
If the offer was made with the authority of the senior officer, but what astounded nie--bring so new to the service-was that the civilian was so sure of him self and bad po fear of being arrested.
"Well, some time later 1 Bled an futernal report on another matter involving maladministra. tion and was then told that 1 had been judged 'tempera- mentally unsuitable to remain a within the service. I was dis missed, and that was that.”
The Foreign Office suld it could make no comment on the Jeste until Mr Johnson's ques- tion had been answered in the C'ommons.
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