PRIORITY CYPHER/CAT A
GRP 410
FM F C O 141805Z AUG
SECRET
SE CRET
1 DKK 14 / 7
(129)
OP COPY
TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 864 OF 14 AUGUST. 1973,
PERSONAL FOR ACTING GOVERNOR FROM MACLEHOSE.
YOUR TELNO 240 TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE.
ANTI-CORRUPTION UNIT.
125
1. MY VIEWS AND THOSE OF SLEVIN WERE RECORDED IN A MINUTE
BEFORE MY DEPARTURE AND I HAVE ALREADY APPROACHED PRENDERGAST (COPY OF MY LETTER TO HIM SENT TO YOU BY BAG).
2. IF LATTER RESPONDS, BUT I JUDGE HIM TO HAVE RUN OUT OF STEAM, I WILL LOOK ELSEWHERE DURING MY LEAVE, KEEPING YOU INFORMED.
3. I SHOULD LIKE TO KEEP THIS IN MY OWN HANDS SO, THOUGH I WOULD WELCOME ANY IDEAS THAT YOU AND ROBERTS WORK OUT, PLEASE MAKE
NO FURTHER MOVES VIS-A-VIS BLAIR-KERR,
4. THE LATTER'S IMMEDIATE TASK IS TO COMPLETE HIS REPORT WHICH
HE UNDERTOOK TO DISCUSS WITH ME IN DRAFT ON MY RETURN. THE PROSPECT OF A DIRECTORSHIP OF AN A C UNIT COULD COLOUR HIS
ADVICE ALBEIT UNCONSCIOUSLY BOTH BRIGGS AND I HAVE FOUND
HIM DISCONCERTINGLY NAIVE ABOUT SOME ASPECTS OF HIS SECOND REPORT.
5. I THINK THAT SEPARATION OF AN A C UNIT FROM THE POLICE AND THE INTRODUCTION OF SOMEONE FROM OUTSIDE, WHETHER PRENDERGAST OR SOMEONE ELSE, WOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT IMMEDIATE COSMETIC EFFECT TO HOLD OPINION IN HONG KONG AND ALSO THE
HOUSE OF COMMONS BUT THIS WOULD BOOMERANG UNLESS RESULTS ARE
ACHIEVED QUICKLY. MY PRIMARY CONCERN ABOUT THE MANAGEMENT OF A
NEW UNIT MUST THEREFORE BE ITS EFFECTIVENESS, IMPORTANT FACTORS IN THIS WILL BE THE DRIVE AND EXPERTISE OF THE DIRECTOR AND THE CONFIDENCE OF SENIOR POLICE IN HIM. IT IS BECAUSE PRENDERGAST
IS SUCH AN EFFECTIVE PERSON AND BECAUSE HE WOULD NEED SO LITTLE
TIME TO PLAY HIMSELF IN THAT SLEVIN AND I PREFER HIM TO AN
UNKNOWN QUANTITY FROM THE YARD. THE FACT THAT SLEVIN AND
RICHARDSON ARE CLOSE PERSONAL FRIENDS OF HIS SHOULD ALSO HELP. THESE CONSIDERATIONS SEEM TO ME TO OUTWEIGH HIS DEFECTS. /6. WHILE IT
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