TNAG-0407-FCO40-453-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 59

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CONFIDENTIAL

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RGY No.51

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CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONGKONG TEL NO 825 OF 22/3. 1973 FOLLOWING PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR FROM GOVERNOR.

DIRECTOR OF ANTI-CORRUPTION UNIT.

1. I HAVE DISCUSSED PROPOSAL ABOUT PREDERGAST IN CONFIDENCE WITH

BOTH MACOUN AND SIR Y K KAN. BOTH SUPPORTED HIM STRONGLY FROM

THEIR DIFFERENT STANDPOINT. LATTER THOUGHT THAT ANY LOCAL

PREFERENCE FOR A LAWYER WOULD BE SECONDARY TO RELIEF AT SIGNS OF VIGOROUS ACTION AS EVIDENCED BY IMPORTATION OF AN OUTSIDE

PERSONALITY. THE FORMER CONSIDERED PREDERGAST IDEALLY SUITED IF

HE WOULD TAKE THE JOB,

2.

PREDERGAST HAS WRITTEN TO ME EXPRESSING CONSIDERABLE INTEREST. 3. I AM THEREFORE GOING TO INTERVIEW HIM AT ONCE TO ASSESS WHETHER HE IS UP TO IT, AND ALSO WHETHER HE COULD GIVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO . CREATE AN EFFECTIVE MACHINE 1 E UP TO TWO YEARS.

I WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU THEREAFTER,

5. GRATEFUL FOR AN INDICATION OF SLEVIN'S MOVEMENTS. WHEN WILL

HE LEAVE HONG KONG FOR INTERPOL AND WILL HE VISIT THE UNITED

KINGDOM?

6. IT IS DISTASTEFUL THAT SUTCLIFFE IS NOT IN OUR CONFIDENCE ABOUT THIS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF LEAKAGE REACHING HIM. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, AND IF I FIND PREDERGAST SUITABLE, THINK IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE FOR YOU TO TELL HIM IN STRICT CONFIDENCE THAT I AM CONSIDERING A SEPARATE ANTI-CORRUPTION UNIT UNDER PREDERGAST'S DIRECTION, BUT THAT THIS IS CONTINGENT ON THE FINDINGS

OF THE BLAIR-KERR REPORT.

(DISTRIBUTION ON INSTRUCTIONS FROM ACTING GOVERNOR ONLY).

DOUGLAS-HOME

FILES

HKI OD

OPA

MR WILFORD SIR D WATSON

CONFIDENTIAL