CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET
HKA412393/4
*****YNO. 51
31 MAR 1973
32
Mr. Quantrill
See X. below.
Mr Murray
"for action, not i
not informative
: ie.
He telegram to Hong Kong,
Нау
Thro'
HONG KONG : YAU MA TEI CORRUPTION CASE first, please
a
me
لله
Minister
on
i or Taken
yshould be
approve
to Land G__-R".
Dhu 2913 Дви
1. As you know I shall not be in the Office tomorrow and so we shall
A not be able to discuss this case. You will wish to see the three
important submissions in respect of this case. As you will be aware the Secretary of State accepted my recommendation that 138 officers be discharged under Colonial Regulation 55 and instructions were duly
sent to Hong Kong.
201
B
2. You have now seen Hong Kong telno 383 and I have told you that Sir Murray MacLehose has telephoned saying that we should ignore this telegram as he has not yet made up his mind. He was in particular far from happy with the idea that those who are to be tried should not, after all, be dismissed first under Colonial Regulation 55, though it was still their intention to dismiss them subsequently even if the prosecutions were unsuccessful. We told him that we too thought that the proposals in paragraph 2 if brought into effect would casue a lot of problems and we would be glad if he would re-think the
exercise. Mr Wall in Private Office is aware of the situation.
C 3. You will also have seen Hong Kong Telno 386 in which further
evidence was provided against four of those police officers whom I refused to recommend for discharge. The sum of old and new evidence has been reviewed by Mr Thompson of my Department and myself.
We are now satisfied that there are sufficient grounds for suspecting that the officers concerned have been involved in corrupt activity, for it not to be in the public interest for them to remain in the service of the Government of Hong Kong. The files are now being scrutinised
by the Departmental Legal Adviser and the Overseas Police Adviser and if they concur with my judgement I propose to convey to Hong Kong the pleasure of the Crown that these officers .should no longer hold office. My Department will prepare an informative submission through you to the Secretary of State. I have discussed this procedure with Mr Wall and he agrees.
※
29 March 1978
cc: Mr Wall
Mr Rushford Mr Macoun
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Stewart
Hong Kong and General Department
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