236
Appix 19
SENIOR INSPECTOR MICHAEL FULTON'S ALLEGATION OF A “SET-UP”
Michael Fulton was until his resignation in April 1981, a Senior Inspector of Police. He was born in Kenya in 1950 and is a B.Sc. in Biology, London University. He joined the Hong Kong Police on 3 January 1975. In April 1978, he was posted to CID, Kowloon City till January 1979 when he was posted to the Criminal Investigations Bureau (CIB) at CID Headquarters. He was promoted to Senior Inspector in January 1980.
2.
When Fulton joined the CIB in January 1979, Superintendent Merritt was second in command in the CIB, but Fulton was then working under another Superintendent in the Research and Analysis Division in the CIB. Within a few weeks of Fulton joining the CIB, Merritt heard rumours that Fulton was a homosexual. Merritt told Senior Superintendent Clemence, then in charge of the CIB. Both Merritt and Clemence felt Fulton should not stay on in the CIB. Clemence then spoke to his immediate superior, Chief Superintendent Ross of the Special Operations Group, CID. Both the CIB and the SIU came under Ross. The ultimate decision was that Fulton should stay on in the CIB since he was helping the SIU.
3.
Fulton made three statements to the Coroner's investigation officer, Superintendent Pelly (28 January 1980, 31 January 1980, and 5 February 1980), one to Mr. Moorfoot, the Coroner's Officer (15 February 1980), one to Mr. Over, the Director of Management and Development (22 May 1980). He also made statements to members of the Commission. He made a handwritten note (exhibit No. B111) on 11 October 1979 and gave it to his friend Inspector McDaid for "safekeeping".
4.
Fulton appears to be an honest witness, though not always accurate. His evidence occupied some six and a half days, and every aspect of his evidence was probed and tested with rigour and thoroughness. Much detail was gone into, some of which proved helpful to the making of my assessment. It is not necessary that I should minutely analyze his evidence in this Report, but shall concentrate on my findings to broad and essential facts.
Inspector Fulton's Meetings with the SIU
5.
Fulton had had a number of meetings with individual members of the SIU. My findings are as follows:- (1) In August 1978, he first met Brooks and Quinn. They said they were investigating John Richard Duffy and they knew Fulton was a homosexual. (In fact, a few days after his arrest, Mr. Duffy had given Fulton's name to Brooks and Quinn). They said they knew Fulton had been to Duffy's boat and flat. Fulton was worried and asked Brooks if that meant his resignation and Brooks said no. They did not ask Fulton to do anything; they simply asked Fulton not to worry. Fulton later told his Assistant Divisional Superintendent, Mr. Hodson and Divisional Superintendent Trotman about the meeting. (About a year later, on 28 August 1979 Fulton went to Haldane & Co., a firm of solicitors, for the first time and saw a solicitor, Mr. Claypole there. Fulton told Claypole that he had been intimidated by Quinn. Claypole's note shows that Fulton told Claypole that Quinn said something like "drop me in shit unless prepared to tell." It appeared to Claypole that Fulton was afraid of Quinn). From the beginning Fulton was told that if his homosexual activity came to the notice of the Police, he would be dealt with like anybody else, and Brooks could in that event offer no protection. There were two forms of influence on Fulton to co-operate: (a) he being a policeman was obliged to help; and (b) he being himself a known homosexual, was in a vulnerable position.
(2) About three weeks later, in early September 1978, Brooks, Quinn and Fulton met at Shatin Heights Hotel at Quinn's request. They told Fulton they wanted to carry out further investigations into matters subsequent to Duffy's arrest. They said it was not a witch-hunt and they were not looking into the private lives of adults but into (a) trafficking and procuration of young children, (b) triads, and (c) blackmailing of homosexuals. They asked for Fulton's help in these areas. Fulton in fact knew next to nothing about those three areas but nevertheless agreed to help. They mentioned to Fulton several persons in high places. They said they knew a lot about these people and they had evidence on some of them (Exhibit No. B112). They also told Fulton they knew he was living with a Raymond Lam and had gone to the Phillipines with him.
(3) About two weeks later, Quinn telephoned Fulton and arranged a meeting at the Imperial Hotel. Brooks, Quinn and Fulton met there. They wanted Fulton to write a resume of the homosexual scene in Hong Kong and Fulton agreed. On this occasion, Molo Tsui was first mentioned to Fulton. Fulton said he knew of this man. In the course of those two weeks, Fulton had spoken with two Police Officers whose names had been given to him at Shatin Heights Hotel. The two Officers told Fulton of similar meetings with Brooks and Quinn. Shortly after the Imperial Hotel meeting, Fulton gave Brooks and Quinn a resume but they said the resume contained matters they already knew. At about this time, still in September 1978, Fulton gave Brooks and Quinn a list of over 100 names of suspected homosexuals, but MacLennan's name was not on the list. The list was referred to Clancy, the DCI and Ross, and to the Legal Department.
Page 225Page 226