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ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE: ESSENTIAL FACTS
POLICE
1.
The Hong Kong Police Force emerged from the 1967 disturbances in
Hong Kong with an enhanced reputation and were consequently awarded
the title 'Royal'. Unfortunately, at about the same time large-scale
syndicated corruption in the Force came to the surface. As a result,
in 1974 the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was set up.
2. The effectiveness of the ICAC greatly demoralised the Force and in
November 1978 there was a near mutiny. The Government then legislated
an amnesty for all corrupt offences committed before 1 January 1978.
The Force subsequently began to regain its morale, particularly after
its work on illegal immigration won much public acclaim.
MACLENNAN AFFAIR
3. A major setback to this improving morale has been the scandal ari-
sing from the death of Police Inspector MacLennan. MacLennan was to
have been arrested in January on charges related to homosexual acts
(all homosexual activities are still illegal in Hong Kong). The
arresting party found MacLennan locked in his bedroom dead from five
pistol wounds. Despite overwhelming evidence that MacLennan had com-
mitted suicide, the Coroner's Jury returned an open verdict. This
fuelled rumours that he had been murdered to protect senior government
servants who were also homosexual.
4.
Following increasing concern both in the UK and particularly in
Hong Kong about MacLennan's death, the Governor set up a judicial
Commission of Inquiry to investigate the death and the circumstances
surrounding it. The Commission is now adjourned and is not due to renew
its enquiry until after the Secretary of State's visit. However, it
has already been told that the allegations that the Commissioner of
Police himself is a homosexual were investigated in 1978 and are again
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