TNAG-0405-FCO40-451-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 158

THE GUARDIAN

MP alleges Hongkong police graft

By PETER HARVEY

Mr James Johnson, Labour MP for Hull West, and a group of recently retired Hongkong police and Govern- ment officials have begun a campaign to force Whitehall to set up an inquiry into allegations of widespread graft and corruption within the colony's civil service.

Mr Johnson has tabled a Commons question to the Foreign Secretary today demanding that the Government act "in response to the growing disquiet in Hongkong at the allegations of corrup- · tion within the police service and various

Government

departments."

Mr Johnson said he had been attempting to get an inquiry under way into the situation in Hongkong since 1967. “But the Government has always refused to listen even though my infor- mation was coming from a great many very concerned people in the administration out there."

Yesterday, a former Hong-

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kong police inspector, Mr Alan Ellis, told the Guardian: 'It is appalling that the situation in Hongkong has been tolerated for so long I believe and suspect that organised vice rings are paying protection money to police officers, and any officer who tries to stop it can find himself in trouble."

Hongkong's leading news- paper, the China Mail, has also begun a campaign to force an investigation into 20 ruption

inside the police and various other Government departments. An opinion poll conducted by the newspaper last week revealed overwhelming public support for the inquiry-and resulted in hundreds of com- plaints from residents about official corruption.

A Hongkong police sergeant, I. H. Khan, last week began legal moves to sue the colony's Attorney-General, alleging that he was unfairly demoted from the rank of police inspector after refusing to pay graft to a senior officer in the police train- ing school at Aberdeen.

Mr Johnson said yesterday that he was “in no doubt about

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the situation out there... it is getting worse. I have been told by very well-placed contacts in Government service that official corruption exists, and that noth- ing-apparently-is being done about it at a local level."

Mr Ellis has been joined in the campaign by another former police inspector, a recently retired magistrate and a retired Hongkong civil servant. All are now living in this country.

"What I want now is for other ex-officers and civil ser vants here in Britain to come forward and lend their support. There could be many people here who know what has been going on out there, and they must want it stopped," he said.

"Former Hongkong Govern- ment officials who have evi- dence of corruption and mal- administration should indicate their support for an externally administered commission of inquiry by contacting the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office.

Mr Ellis said he had evidence of " ostracism, intimidation, and punishment meted out to offi cers who

internal opposed organised graft and maladminis- tration in the force."

He said this behaviour was condoned by at least two senior Government officials, and that information and records relat ing to one particular case he had personal knowledge of were 'suppressed and destroyed to avoid the emergence of the truth."

Mr Ellis said he was dismissed from the force in 1963-“ only a year after I was given the force's Baton of Honour". partly for refusing to receive graft.

"I was offered a $500 bill by a civilian in my Kowloon police station. He did not tell me what the money was for but__just mentioned two initials. These were the initials of a high ranking officer in the force.

“Obviously, no one can sa if the offer was made with the authority of the senior officer, but what astounded me-being so new to the service-was that the civilian was so sure of him self and had no fear of being arrested.

"Well, some time later I filed jan internal report on another matter involving maladministra- tion and was then told that ] had been judged ' tempera. mentally unsuitable' to remain within the service. I was dis missed, and that was that.”

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The Foreign Office said it !could make no comment on the issue until Mr Johnson's ques tion had been answered in the Commons,

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