CONFIDENTIAL
AS MR. DAWSON SAID IN EVIDENCE BEFORE THE COMMISSION, WE WANTED TO ARREST GODBER AS SOON AS THERE WERE EVIDENCE TO JUSTIFY THIS,
WE REGARDED THIS SEVEN-DAY PERIOD IN THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S
LETTER AS A SORT OF MORATORIUM DURING WHICH OUR HANDS WERE TIED.
''NEVERTHELESS, IN THE LIGHT OF SIR ALASTAIR'S COMMENTS,
AND WITH THE BENEFIT OF HIND SIGHT, I NOW ACCEPT THAT PERHAPS MORE
MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF GODBER LEAVING HONG
KONG,'' MR. SUTCLIFFE CONCLUDED,
PRESS RELEASE
2. THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, THIS EVENING COMMENDED
SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS AND THE ANTI-CORRUPTION BRANCH FOR THEIR
WORK IN BRINGING THE GODBER CASE TO LIGHT.
> 'IT IS A THOUSAND PITIES THAT GODBER GOT AWAY, BUT I WOULD NOT
WISH IT TO BE FORGOTTEN THAT UNLESS THE POLICE HAD TAKEN DETER-
MINED ACTION TO PRODUCE EVIDENCE AGAINST GODBER THIS CASE
WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED, '' SIR MURRAY SAID.
FROM THE MOMENT THAT THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE RECEIVED INFORMATION CONCERNING GODBER, MR. SUTCLIFFE, MR. DAWSON AND
THE ANTI-CORRUPTION BRANCH HAVE PURSUED THE CASE AGAINST HIM
WITH VIGOUR AND EXPERTISE. I FULLY SUPPORT SIR ALASTAIR'S
VIEW THAT THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT OF THE DETERMINATION
OF THE POLICE TO BRING THIS CASE TO TRIAL, THE GOVERNOR SAID.
''SINCE GODBER'S DEPARTURE THE POLICE HAVE TONTINUED THEIR EFFORTS: THEY, AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY POSSIBLY CAN TO UNCOVER EVIDENCE WHICH WILL ENABLE
US TO BRING GODBER BACK TO HONG KONG. I APPEAR TO ANYONE WITH SUCH EVIDENCE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY COMING FORWARD,'' THE
GOVERNOR CONCLUDED.
IN THE COMMISSION'S REPORT SIR ALASTAIR RULES OUT ANY POSSIBI- LITY THAT SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS CONNIVED AT GODBER'S DEPARTURE. COMMENTING ON THIS ALLEGATION, WHICH HAD APPEARED IN SOME NEWS- PAPERS, AND ON THE SUGGESTION THAT GODBER'S DISAPPEARANCE FROM
HONG KONG HAD BEEN ''FIXED'', SIR ALASTAIR SAID THERE WAS
NOT A SCRAP OF EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT ANYBODY ASSISTED
5 CONFIDENTIAL
/ GODBER
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