TNAG-0408-FCO40-454-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 14

(3001) Dd.145244 400m 8/73 L.Ltd. Gp.839

NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN

Registry No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret.

Secret.

Confidential,

Restricted.

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

CONFIDENTIAL

DRAFT LETTER

Type 1 +

FROM

To:-

D TE Roberts Esq CBE QC Colonial Secretariat HONG KONG

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

dporime at

Under Durity

mechend

early mike

wech & I will

and & further tolyram

then

SECOND BLAIR-KERR REPORT ON CORRUPTION

In the Governor's telegram No 1090 he asks for

further comments on the Blair-Kerr proposals for

changes in the Fugitive Offenders Act, Colonial

Regulations, and the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.

presents the news of the Department This letter has been agreed by Under Seorgturies and

仙 It will be seen by

and o

by our legal advisex. It is thus to that extent

But

and

an authoritative commentary on the proposals

it has not been seen by Mr Royle who is away,

the whole subject is a bit complicated for any other

Minister. I fear we must therefore reserve the

ultimate possibility of Ministerial intervention at

some later stage. Moreover, since so much of what

is at issue is policy and man management rather than

legal questions, it seems best to reply in this

informal way so that we can give you the background

to our thinking.

FUGITIVE OFFENDERS ACT

2.

I fear that an Order in Council to remove the

application of the double criminality rule from the

dependent territories is definitely not on, at least

for the time being, Mr Royle told the Governor when

he was here that he had consulted the Law Officers,

who were opposed to changing the law to catch one man.

Subsequently Mr Royle has discussed the question at

length with the Chief Whip. They have decided that

/they