The Hon. Sir Jack Cater, K.B.E., J.P.,
Chief Secretary,
Government Secretariat,
Central Government Offices, Lower Albert Road,
Hong Kong.
Dear Chief Secretary,
ن
STRICTLY PRIVATE &
CONFIDENTIAL
С
March 4, 1981.
Re: Commission of Inquiry into the Death of the late Inspector John MacLennan
It is now clear that the system of operation of the Special Investigation Unit during much of its short life (from 14 August 1978 to the present date) involved various breaches of Police General Orders (for example, the failure of a number of Officers to keep Police Notebooks properly, or at all). It is also now clear that the work of the Commission of Inquiry into the matters within the Terms of Reference of the Governor in Council dated July 9 1980 will entail the examination by the Commission, both by oral testimony, and by the inspection of documents, of much, if not all, of that area of fact (for example, Mr. Moor, Mr. Clancy, Mr. Ross, Mr. Brooks, Mr. Quinn, Mr. MacKillop, Mr. Graham, Mr. Tin, as well as certain members of the Special Investigation Unit below the rank of Inspector, have already given, or will be giving, evidence on an extensive basis). In addition, Mr. Li Kwan-ha has particularly studied the Special Investigation Unit's system of documentation, and will be giving evidence before the Commission with regard to this.
Notwithstanding that the work of the Inquiry will cover the above areas of fact, the findings which the present Terms of Reference are likely to require the Commission to make
may well not include more than partial reference to the question of defects in the system of operation of the Special Investigation Unit.
In the above situation, I feel that I should inform you of the facts, in order that consideration can be given to the question of whether, or not, some direction should be made, which would enable me expressly to cover the above area of evidence in my Report.
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