(16941) Dd.897300 250m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863
NOTHING TO BE Written in THIS MARGIN
CONFIDENTIAL
3.
as you may know,
Recently, a senior officer in the Hong Kong police force
a
by name of Godber came under suspicion.
Enquiries revealed
that he had been passing very large sums of money through
different bank accounts, and he was asked to provide an
explanation within seven days, but he abscored from Hong Kong
before that time had elapsed. He came to England and is
believed to be still here.
4. The Senior Puisne Judge in Hong Kong, Sir Alistair
Blair-Kerr, was asked to enquire into the circumstances of
Godber's departure and also to consider whether any changes in
the law were required.
5.
Godber has been charged with an offence under s.10, but
no evidence has come to light that would justify preferring
any other charge against him. It is not possible for the
Hong Kong Government to obtain his extradition from the United
Kingdom under the Fugitive Offenders Act 1967 in respect of
the charge under s.10, in view of the terms of s. 3(1)(c) of
the Act and the fact that there is no equivalent offence in
England.
6.
Sir Alastair
Mr Justice Blair-Kerr formed the view that there is no
rule
need to retain a double-criminality for the purposes of
extradition to Hong Kong from the United Kingdom, and has
recommended that the Act of 1967 should be modified so as to
exclude s. 3(1)(c) in such cases.
7. It would be possible to do this by means of an Order in
Council under s. 2(3) of the Act. Under s. 2(6) such an Order
has to be approved in draft by each House of Parliament.
8.
In the meantime Godber's name has, as you know, been put
on the watch-list, so that there is a chance (but no certainty)
ceb
of interting him if he tries to leave the United Kingdom.
CONFIDENTIAL
19.
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