TNAG-0410-FCO40-456-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 81

THE GUARDIAN

HK

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-6 NOV 107H

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THE APPOINTMENT of Mr John Prendergast to the post of Director of Operations for the new anti-corruption unit in Hong Kong has come as considerable surprise to police experts, Mr Prender. gast is neither a simple policeman nor an expert in anti-corruption. He is, in fact, one of Britain's most senior and experienced counter- intelligence and counter-sub- version experts. He has been recalled from retirement in Malta to go to Hong Kong. His career reads like a chronology of decolonialisa. tion. Assistant District Com- missioner in Palestine as we pulled out of there, and then transferred to the Gold, Coast from 1948-52, while the way was being prepared for, an independent Ghana. From 1952 until 1958 he was in Kenya, dealing with the Mau Mau crisis as Director of Intelligence and Security. During this time, in 1955, he received the George medal for his part in Operation Chui, which could be described as a search and destroy and per suade to surrender operation, which killed 433 Mau Mau, wounded 253 and led to about 400 surrendering. From 1958 until 1960, he was chief of Intelligence in Cyprus, while the pull-out was being arranged. From 1966 to 1967, he was Director of Intelli gence in Aden, another time of withdrawal plans and negotiations. Between 1960 and 1966, he was in Hong Kong, Director of the Special Branch. He met there with perhaps the least success, both the Ferry riots of '66 and the much more serious riots of '67 coming as some. thing of a surprise to an administration which had felt their Intelligence to be secure. Critical observers of the Hong Kong scene believe that this new anti-corruption unit will achieve little, since Mr Prendergast's force will largely be staffed by Hong Kong policemen seconded from normal duties, and will still be an art of the Hong Kong Administration, which has done little to eradicate corruption in the past.

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