TNAG-0516-FCO40-581-Representations-on-refusal-of-entry-of-British-subjects-to-H-1974 — Page 40

CONFIDENTIAL

布政司署

香港下亞畢道

COLONIAL SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

本署檔號 OUR REF.:

GR 20/2091/74

RECEIVED

10th July, 1974

T.C. 175/74

N

*Your REF.: HKK 22/3

15 JUL 1974

LAST

REF.

3

~KK 22/3

NEW

REF.

C.S. 41A

Sear Sminkeidar

ENTRY OF BRITISH SUBJECTS INTO HONG KONG: MR. S. R. WITHERS

Please refer to your letter HKK 22/3 of 31st May 1974 to Mike Clinton.

The Withers brothers came to notice here on 12th March 1974 when an eavesdropping device was found leading from Ian Withers' hotel room to the room next door, which was occupied by a barrister from the United Kingdom who was engaged in a civil action here before the Supreme Court. Withers had connected a recorder and monitory earphones to the device, and a large amount of very sophisticated eavesdropping equipment was seized in his room. Further eaves- dropping equipment was seized from the hotel room of his brother, Stuart, and Ian Withers was subsequently charged, convicted and fined Hong Kong $4,000 for being in possession of unlicensed telecommunications equipment. The brothers left Hong Kong on or about 20th March 1974.

Both the brothers have criminal records and convictions in the United Kingdom, and have been refused permission to land in Hong Kong on the grounds that their presence here is against the public interest. I understand that Stuart Withers intends to appeal against the decision not to allow him to enter the Colony, but the formal petition has not yet been received from his solicitor. I will let you know how the case develops.

Yours masing

Buin Janies

(L.M. Davies)

Secretary for Security

B. H. Dinwiddy Esq.,

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department,

Foreign & Commonwealth Office,

London SW1,

England.

CONFIDENTIAL

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