Cunningham & Thompson
llelii
These two men were charged (inter alia) with conspiracy to pervert
the Course of Justice in that they joined a group of corrupt police officers
and their associates who were receiving "protection money" from vice-establishments
operating in the Bay View Police Division where they were Divisional Superintendent
and Assistant Divisional Superintendent respectively.
The evidence led in the case against them can be divided into 4
separate but not mutually exclusive categories, namely:-
(1) direct evidence given by Lau Cheong Wah against both accused
and by Cheng Cheuk Fun against the 1st accused
(2) evidence proving the existence of large scale, well-organised and
lucrative vice establishments operating within Bay View Division
under the paid protection of police officers whilst the two
defendants were the Divisional Superintendent and Assistant
Divisional Superintendent in charge of that Division.
(3) evidence showing that sums of money derived from the corrupt
revenues of the syndicate were used to purchase sterling drafts
which were paid into a number of bank accounts in the U.K.
(4) evidence proving that the said bank accounts belonged to the 2
defendants.
Direct evidence against the two accused
Lau Cheong-wah gave evidence that he first went to Bay View Division in 1970 and Cunningham came to the Division as Divisional Superintendent in 1971. He admitted he was receiving protection money from vice establishments in Shaukiwan, prior to this time, and continued do so throughout the time he was in the Division. He stated that on the first day that Cunningham came to
the Division. He went into Cunningham's office, identified himself and told
Cunningham that there were some "illegal Banks" in the Division. He was asked
what kind of banks and so he told Cunningham they were gambling stalls and opium stalls. He then asked Cunningham whether "he was interested to get some extra income" and Cunningham asked "how much". He was told that C.I.D. would
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