CONFIDENTIAL
1.
The Royal Hong Kong Police
1. On 7 April the Hong Kong Government announced that 118 police officers and 1 customs officer had been dismissed under CR 55 and a further 20 serving police officers, 4 retired ones and 2 customs officers had been charged with corruption.
2. These were some of about 200 officers who had been investigated by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for corrupt association with drug peddlers in the YMT fruit market. Working from evidence seized when the drug ring was arrested, together with detailed statements from convicted criminals, ICAC had investigated this group but had been unable to find evidence of one syndicate. The Hong Kong Government was therefore faced with the possibility of a large number of trials lasting some years which would have been impracticable. Added to this difficulty was the fact that much of the evidence would have to come from convicted criminals whose testimony could well be put in doubt after repeated cross-examination and who might in any case refuse to testify at all trials. The Government there- fore sought the Secretary of State's agreement to dismiss those involved under CR 55, which does not call for any reason for dismissal to be given.
In the
3. 149 files were sent to us and in 142 cases the Secretary of State, after the files had been carefully studied, agreed to dismissal. event CR 55 was used in only 119 cases. stage the Governor had proposed that, where
At one
CONFIDENTIAL
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