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4 MAY 1977
HK.
From KEITH STAINTON MP
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Private and confidential
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SWIA OAA
765
3rd May, 1977.
Dear Minister,
ALLOCATION SECTION
'RECEIVED IN,
51
REGISTRY 5 MAY 1977
WICK 380
Although I have had the opportunity of talking on the telephone to your Mr. Stewart, who is in charge of the HongKong Department, my concern is with the face of my constituent, Mr. Christopher Clements of Kesgrave, near Ipswich, who is facing a murder charge in HongKong.
There are a number of points about which I am deeply disquieted and in respect of which I would like to go on record viz:
1.
Much correspondence has been sent out by his parents and relatives but, according to telexes received late last week by P & O (Christopher's employers) the young man had received no mail whatsoever. I draw your attention to the attached photostat of a letter of May 1 from the parents.
2.
My Benton Cons apt hen reben din on And has Endertaken to: clear he dra/13 with
drafty Hurt:1.
Either there is a postal hitch or the parents have not been given the correct address, or there is deliberate interception on the part of the HongKong authorities.
3.
LOG-R office informed
LAST
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Whilst I have been assured by officials that the legal aid scheme in HongKong is effective, I would, in confidence, convey to you the opinion of our colleague, Peter Crowder,QC, who in the past few months was in both a murder and a drugs case in HongKong, that legal aid there is 'pretty worthless'.
Police procedures in Hong Kong leave room for doubt as to justice. In making this bold statement I rested on police testimony produced during the recent drugs trial in which Mr. Crowder defended. Although the caution contained the normal reference to 'taken down in writing' this did not happen. The interview upon which the police statement and the whole of the case was based was taped in a separate room from the one in which the person was being interviewed. Mr.Crowder found it necessary to observe to the Magistrate that senior police officials had been involved in a secret conspiracy.
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