Mr Murray
SECRET
HKK 382/2
Werth
PS/Lord Goronwy-Robertk
1973
LAST
REF
12A 412/2013/1
1970
EX
PA
(1024
TRY
T
Con Tazen
Flags A &
B
97
RC.
HONG KONG: YAUMATEI CORRUPTION CASES
TON CASKIRS
HKA 412/390/4
Copy Tor: .ation only / Action on
=()
1. In his telegrams Nos 406 and 407 of 1 April the Governor has now provided drafts of the press statement and guidance notes for press enquiries, concerning the dismissal of Officers concerned in the Yaymatei corruption cases. As these need to be cleared with the Executive Council in liong Kong tomorrow, the Governor has asked for our approval by first thing tomorrow morning (which means by tonight, London time).
2. The Governor's proposed texts look generally acceptable, subject to a few minor amendments and only one significant objection. This concerns the reference to the Amnesty in paragraph 5 of the press statement in the Governor's telegram No 406. While the Lepartmental Legal Adviser has confirmed that there is no legal objection to linking the use of C55 to the Amnesty, it is debateable whether it is strictly true to say that it is being used to deal "with the aftermath of the Amnesty granted in November 1977": we may well have needed to use CR55 even if there had been no Amnesty. Also, by linking our action to the Amnesty, there is a strong implication that the Officers concerned are being dismissed on suspicion of corruption. While this may be true, we want to avoid saying so, even by implication, in order to lessen the risk of a come-back.
On minor points, I suggest:
3.
i)
xat the
bemning of para 3 where
the term "officer could be interproved to makedo
ii)
running together paragraphs 2 and 3 of the press statement in order to avoid the slight ambiguity to the "Officers" referred to in paragraph 1.
in the proposed answer to Question 7 in the Questions and Answers, omit the phrase "arising from the Amnesty" (for the same reason as I recommend omitting the reference to the Amnesty from the press statement);
iii) in the reply to Question 16, omit the second
sentence, since this implies that only the trial could produce evidence on which the Government
/may
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