TNAG-0489-FCO40-554-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-Hong-Kong-police-an-1974 — Page 13

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香港總督

29/3

CONFIDENTIAL & PERSONAL

До диса

K.G...

אן ריי

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

HONG KONG

No. 51 26th. March, 1974.

18 APR 1974

HKK/4/3

FUGITIVE OFFENDERS ACT.

LAST REF

NEXT

REF.

814

I have delayed taking any action on Peter Blaker's Personal and Confidential letter to me of 13th. February, about the Fugitive Offenders Act, until we knew the outcome of the election.

I am afraid that the decision conveyed in that letter, namely that H.M.G. is not prepared to amend the Act so as to make it possible to return fugitives for trail in Hong Kong for offences under Section 10 of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance, will be very badly received here.

Whatever the objections of the English Law Officers may be, they will not be appreciated. So far as the public is concerned, H.M.G.s reaction will be seen simply as due to an obstructive attitude, the effect of which is to give an unjustified protection to crooked expatriates.

Nor, I fear, does it add anything to the credibility of the Hong Kong administration; it is said, and widely believed, that if we were really serious about tackling corruption we would have persuaded H.M.G. to make the necessary amendment.

Sir Duncan Watson, KCMG., Foreign and Commonwalth Office, London. S.W.1.

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