THE DEATH OF INSPECTOR JOHN MACLENNAN
5. DURING THE COURSE OF SIU'S INVESTIGATIONS, THE NAME OF INSPECTOR OF POLICE JOHN MACLENNAN CAME TO ITS ATTENTION. EVIDENCE WAS COLLECTED, AND ON 3 JANUARY 1980 THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT ADVISED SIU THAT IT WAS IN ORDER TO PROSECUTE MACLENNAN ON COUNTS OF GROSS
INDECCENCY. IT WAS DECIDED THAT MACLENNAN WOULD BE ARRESTED AT 10.30 A.M. ON 15 JANUARY 1980, AND HE WAS TOLD TO PRESENT HIMSELF AT THAT TIME. HE FAILED TO DO SO, AND AT 11.48 A.M. ON 15 JANUARY 1980 HIS DEAD BODY WAS FOUND ON THE FLOOR OF HIS BEDROOM WITH FIVE
GUNSHOT WOUNDS IN THE CHEST.
6. THE POST-MORTEM REPORT INDICATED THAT THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS
GUNSHOT WOUNDS OF THE CHEST WITH INJURIES TO THE HEART, AORTA AND SPLEEN. A CORONER'S INQUEST WAS HELD, AND THE JURY RETURNED AN OPEN
VERDICT. THERE WAS WIDESPREAD AND HEATED PUBLIC DEBATE OVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF MACLENNAN'S DEATH, AND SPECULATION AND CONFUSION
WERE RIFE IN THE PUBLIC MIND. IN JULY 1980 THE GOVERNOR
IN COUNCIL APPOINTED A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY WITH THE FOLLOWING
TERMS OF REFERENCE:
(A) WHETHER, IN THE LIGHT OF ALL THE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE AND ANY ADDITIONAL ENQUIRIES YOU MAKE, THERE ARE GOOD GROUNDS FOR BELIEVING THE DEATH OF INSPECTOR MACLENNAN WAS OTHER THAN SUICIDE AND WHAT CONCLUSIONS YOU DRAW,
(B) WHAT OFFICIAL INVESTIGATIONS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DEATH OF INSPECTOR MACLENNAN WERE CONDUCTED, WHETHER THERE WERE ANY SHORTCOMINGS IN THEM, AND IF SO WHAT CONCLUSIONS YOU DRAW AS TO THE REASON FOR THESE SHORTCOMINGS,
(C) WHETHER THE CHARGES WHICH WERE ABOUT TO BE PREFERRED AGAINST HIM ON THE DAY OF HIS DEATH WERE PROPERLY BROUGHT, AND WHETHER ON EVIDENCE PROPERLY OBTAINED,
(D) WHAT INVESTIGATIONS OR ENQUIRIES (OTHER THAN THOSE RESULTING
IN THE CHARGES AT (C)) WERE CONDUCTED REGARDING INSPECTOR MACLENNAN, WHETTHER THEY WERE CONDUCTED WITH PROPRIETY, AND WHAT BEARING, IF ANY, THEY HAD ON INSPECTOR MACLENNAN'S DEATH, AND (E) WHETHER THE INVESTIGATIONS AND ENQUIRIES UNDER (B), (C) AND (D) WERE PROPERLY MOTIVATED.
THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO INSPECTOR MACLENNAN'S
CASE
7. IN JULY 1981 A REPORT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR BY THE
COMMISSIONER, THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE T.L. YANG. IT CONCLUDED THAT THE DEATH OF MACLENNAN WAS SUICIDE, BUT IT HAD ALSO INQUIRED EXHAUSTIVELY INTO VARIOUS OTHER MATTERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE. THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY
HAD BEEN EXTEENSIVELY REPORTED THROUGHOUT THE PRECEDING YEAR. ON 1 SEPTEMBER 1981 THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ADVISED AND THE GOVERNOR ORDERED THAT THE FULL REPORT SHOULD BE PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH AND
CHINESE. PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT HAD REVIVED PUBLIC INTEREST.
2 CONFIDENTIAL
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