TNAG-0553-FCO40-648-Allegations-of-corruption-and-bribery-in-Hong-Kong-police-an-1975 — Page 95

GRS 350

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT/A

FM HONG KONG 270900Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

IVO IN

RECY NO. 51

2 8 NOV 1975

HKK 14/1

TO PRIORITY F C O TELEGRAM NO 1191 OF 27 NOVEMBER.

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 894 OF 20 NOVEMBER.

PUN TING-CHAU.

LAST

(223)

THERE WAS NO INDEPENDENT I C A C INVESTIGATION OF THIS CASE.

MR PUN'S ORIGINAL COMPLAINT WAS OF POLICE INVOLVEMENT IN A ''TIN

SIN KUK'' SWINDLE IN WHICH HE ALLEGEDLY LOST DOLLARS 279,000. HE REFUSED TO BE INTERVIEWED BY ANY POLICE OFFICERS, SO THE INVESTIG- ATION BOTH BY CID AND THE OLD ANTI-CORRUPTION OFFICE HAD TO BE

ABANDONED IN DECEMBER 1973.

2. IN MAY 1974, FOLLOWING REPRESENTATIONS BY HIM TO I CA C, MR PUN

WAS INTERVIEWED BY AN ICA C OFFICER. IT WAS HOWEVER APPARENT THAT

HIS ALLEGATIONS AMOUNTED TO OBTAINING BY DECEPTION: THE ALLEGED

POLICE INVOLVEMENT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY REASON FOR I CAC INTERVEN→

TION, BECAUSE OF MR PUN'S RELUCTANCE TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE POLICE

WITHOUT AN IC A C PRESENCE A JOINT C 1 D/I C A C INVESTIGATION WAS

LAUNCHED. THIS RESULTED IN THE ARREST AND SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF

THREE OUT OF THE FIVE PRINCIPALS IN THE SWINDLE. EACH WAS SENTENCED

TO FOUR YEARS IMPRISONMENT AND AN ORDER WAS MADE THAT EACH SHOULD

PAY TO MR PUN DOLLARS 76,000 IN RESTITUTION.

3. THE PRESENT SPATE OF LETTERS ARISES BECAUSE OF THE SUCCESSFUL

APPEALS AGAINST CONVICTION MADE BY ALL THREE DEFENDANTS ON 8.9.75.

4. MR PUN HAS ACCUSED

AND

THE MEMBERS OF THE FULL COURT WHO UPHELD THE APPEAL, OF A CORRUPT CONSPIRACY WITH THE PERPETRATORS OF THE SWINDLE. IN VIEW OF THIS ALLEGATION MR PUN WAS INTERVIEWED AT SOME LENGTH BY I CA C. HE

SAID THAT HE HAD NO FIRST HAND EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT HIS ALLEGATIONS WHICH, HE STATED, WERE 'BASED ON A BELIEF TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES''.

CONFIDENTIAL

15. THE