TNAG-0406-FCO40-452-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 190

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BACKGROUND NOTE

CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT PETER GODBER, HONG KONG POLICE

1. Mr Godber had been required to supply information to the Attorney General Hong Kong under Section 10 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance. This section makes it an offence for a Crown Servant to maintain a standard of living above that which is commensurate with his present or past official emoluments or to be in control of pecuniary resources or property disproportionate to his present or past official emoluments, unless he gives a satisfactory explanation.

2.

Mr Godber had been given until 11 June to supply infor- mation to the Attorney General. No decision as to whether or not to prosecute Godber could have been taken until after this period had expired. Godber left Hong Kong on the 8th. It appears that nobody had any reason to suppose that he was about to leave Hong Kong; had they so suspected an application would certainly have been made under Section 18 of the Ordinance to prevent him leaving.

3. Mr Godber is at present at Rye in Sussex. There is no corresponding offence in this country to Section 10 of the Hong Kong Ordinance for which a warrant for the arrest of Mr Godber has now been issued in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Government are thus not able at this moment to seek his return under the Fugitive Offenders Act. The Hong Kong police are actively investigating the possibility of charging Godber with some other offence for which the Fugitive Offenders Act could be used, but so far without success.

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department

4 July 1973

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