TNAG-0713-FCO40-908-Colonial-Regulations-policy-on-disciplinary-procedures-1978 — Page 25

of

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COVERING SECRET

an officer comes from a delicate source. Such a case is that

As you will see; we have tried to avoid the use of CR55 except as a last resort, since its use attracts public attention which we would rather avoid. 4. In January Hong Kong were faced with having to deal with

over a hundred police officers, who had been interdicted from

the YAU MA TEI care. duty on suspicion of corruption The Secretary of State agreed that exceptionally @R55xmightxhaXXX the Governor might put these cases to the FCO under CR55. A special review system was set up with Mr Thompson as the officer primarily responsible for checking whether or not the evidence against each officer was adequate for our purposes. His view was then endorsed by Mr Rushford, Legal Advisers, and Mr Stewart and the decision to

approve the compulsory retirement of 119 officers was given by the Secretary of State. A further 26 officers were charged with conspiracy rather than dealt with under CR55.

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5. It was made quite clear to Hong Kong at the time that the use of CR55 in this case was quite exceptional. However, subsequent to Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong submitted a draft paper on the disciplinary Col Regs, which if accepted as it stood would have considerably widened the use of CR55. I have only this week received Mr Bickford's views on this, which coincide with my own. I suggest that we do not now write to Hong Kong about this, until Mr McLaren' has met Sir D Luddington. It should be emphasised to Sir Donald that the FCO view on the application of CR55 has not changed and that if Hong Kong feel strongly that another special

exercice on the lines of Yau Ma Tei is called for, they should put up a case for it for the Secretary of State's consideration. Any such proposal will be considered very carefully and critically.

10 August 1978

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED

UNTIL..........

EXEMPTION No.....38.

UNDER FOI

NF GREEN

I would agree with for Green that a

repeat d

Hie

་་

would need

"Yaumatei" type of CRSS case

strang

There is the

e aaq

possibility that the Saudite of the Mongkol

corruption prosecutions

will be follanted

by

request from thong kon

dismissed under CRSS. My preliminary

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Live