TNAG-0411-FCO40-457-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 10

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THE GUARDIAN

cutting dated

19 DEC 1973

19

Whitehall lead on inquiry sought

By MARTIN WOOLLACOTT

The Hong Kong Govern- ment's new measures to check corruption in the colony are likely to prove ineffective, MPs from both parties were told at а meeting in the Commons yesterday.

People would speak to a British commission of inquiry, while I don't think they will speak to anybody that has anything to do with the Hong Kong Govern; ment."

Mrs Elliott Ferself is facing a Mrs Elsie Elliott, the Kong charge of libel under the Kong head.istress who has colony's Post Office ordinance, been campaigning against cor- arising from a letter she wrote ruption here for the past 10 to a Hong Kong police officer a years, told the MPs that the few weeks ago. The letter first essential for a successful referred to what Mrs Elliott attack on corruption, was still a Royal Commission of Inquiry appointed by, and reporting to, London.

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She said before the meeting that she reserved judgment on Hong Kong's new Anti-cor- ruption Commission which is due to start work early next year. However, there

was

widespread scepticsim among ordinary Chinese about the commission and this meant, for one thing, that it was un- likely to receive any more hard information about corruption than its predecessor, the anti- corruption branch of the police, (Mr Jack Cater, who will head the new commission, claimed during a recent visit to London that the amount and quality of information being received has already improved.)

Mrs Elliott said: "It's even more important now that some. thing should be done since the Godber case and all the publi- city this year has had the effect of making people more discon- tented and hopeless about this problem than before.

believes was an attempt by some police officers to “frame her on a charge of incitement to riot during disturbances in the colony in 1966. She said yesterday that she planned to conduct her own dfence and was ready to go to prison rather than to pay any fine if found guilty.

Mrs Elliott was last in London in 1966 when she also lobbied MP: to try to get West- minster to appoint a commis- sioin of inquiry. She said yesterday: "I only hope the British Government's other problems will not mean that this very serious matter is brushed under the carpet: again."

Mrs Elliott's chances of bringing about any action by the British Government are thought to se slim. The British attitude has always been one of non-intervention in the colony's affairs, and the view now is that the new anti-corruption commission should first be given a chance to tackle the corruption problem.

H.K.