TNAG-0410-FCO40-456-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 70

CONFIDENTIAL

recommended that the Fugitive Offenders Act 1967

should be amended so as to enable Godber and other

offenders charged with criminal offences which

are not relevant offences under the Fugitive

Offenders Act to be extradited to Hong Kong to

stand trial.

3. We have told the Governor that we will look

again at the possibility of a change in the law on

general grounds which would not be retrospective

in form and therefore would not catch Godber.

Mr Royle is writing to his opposite number in the

Home Office asking to discuss this question.

4. Until this issue has been resolved with the

Home Office, we strongly recommend that the

Secretary of State should, at this stage, say no

more in Parliament than that the question is still

under examination.

5. The Governor was consulted about Mr Johnson's

question and the draft reply incorporates an

amendment by him, designed to make it clear that

the Hong Kong Government could not be open to the

charge that it had been inactive or indifferent in

the matter of the extradition of Godber. The

Governor has said that it would be helpful from

his point of view if the Secretary of State could

stress that he is aware of the strong feelings of

the Hong Kong Government that a means should be

found to bring Godber to justice, and of the

powerful and sustained pressure in Hong Kong for

the return of Godber. These points have been

incorporated into the Notes for Supplementaries.

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