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Mr Youde
PS/Lord
Goponwy-Roberts
LETTER FROM MR ERIC OGDEN MP
75
20
B. Za
1. Mr Eric Ogden has written to the Secretary of State
referring to his intervention about corruption in Hong
Kong during the Foreign Affairs debate on 19 March.
2. In raising the question of the "sanctuary afforded
in British law to those people who have been in the
Colony" and who are "wanted to assist the Government
in Hong Kong into their enquiries into corruption",
Mr Ogden is referring to the case of Mr Godber, the
former Chief Superintendent of Folice in Hong Kong
who managed to return to England at a time when charges
against him under the Hong Kong Prevention of Bribery
Ordinance were at an advanced stage of preparation.
As Mr Ogden is aware, the main reason why we cannot
return Mr Godber to Hong Kong is that the offence
alleged against him, namely the possession of unexplained
funds by a public officer, does not constitute an
offence under English law. Under the double criminality
rule in the 1967 Fugitive Offenders Act, return is
only possible when the offence concerned is known to
thelaw of both countries. As Mr Ogden says, he wrote
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