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The New Statesman in its 21 March 1980 issue, said that:
"The dead Inspector, on the other hand, is probably not a homosexual at all. He had been the victim of a homosexual frame-up attempt two years before, which had failed . . the most likely motive for MacLennan murder would have been the knowledge he acquired of the whole conspiracy during his service with the local Special Branch. He had been involved in a number of investigations of homosexuals and Government servants as security risks."
Newsweek, in its 31 March 1980 issue, reported that:
"Brother officers reported MacLennan had committed suicide and left it at that, but the Inquest panel was not convinced."
Coupled with the allegations of frame-up and murder, was the wider issue as to whether or not homosexual laws in Hong Kong were outdated and should be revised. However, in the next few months, the allegations of conspiracy and doubts expressed on suicide acquired such momentum that that wider issue was pushed to the background.
14.
Soon after the conclusion of the Inquest, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Roy Henry, announced that he had ordered a full scale examination of the Police procedures in charging and investigation that were criticized at the Inquest. This did not appear to have satisfied Mrs. Elliott who, on 26 March 1980, wrote to all the English newspapers reiterating her allegations, namely, that MacLennan should not be presumed to be a homosexual, that he was "hounded” to death and there were witnesses to prove that both in Britain and here in Hong Kong, she had mentioned that a frame-up of a certain Policeman (and she meant MacLennan) was going on during October and November, before his death. The English press, it appeared at the time, rallied to Mrs. Elliott's cause. The South China Morning Post leader of 26 March 1980, said that:-
"the open verdict in the Inquest created a problem for the authorities that also served to emphasize the public's misgivings. For even if there is little doubt how the Officer had died, the fact which led up to his death had caused a good deal of speculation which, in the absence of convincing explanations to the contrary, is likely to be widely accepted.”
The leader also went on to repeat an early suggestion that it made, on 14 March, that:—
15.
"a Commission of respected citizens should be set up to investigate not only this particular case, the manner of investigation and the validity of the charges against MacLennan, and also do some fresh thinking into the vexed question of Hong Kong's attitude to homosexuals.'
For a month, the press was relatively quiet, but in late April 1980, it became known that the Coroner's depositions had been sent to the Attorney General's office. Mrs. Elliott was again reported to have reiterated her call for a far-reaching Inquiry into MacLennan's death. A group by the name of the Scottish Homosexuals Right Group was reported to have written to the Foreign Secretary and to the Governor, to say that it was disturbed by the circumstances surrounding the death of MacLennan, and that the Hong Kong Government should "institute an immediate public Inquiry into all aspects of the case, including the possible involvement of the Police and the Triads". On 9 May 1980, both the English and Chinese press reported that two British Labour Members of Parliament had called for an Inquiry into the death of MacLennan. It was reported that Mr. Robert Parry (Scotland Exchange, Liverpool) and Mr. Robin Cooke (Edinburgh Central) had written to Mr. Peter Blaker, the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, expressing concern over the case. They were quoted to have said:-
"We should be grateful if you would arrange for the Hong Kong Government to be informed of the concern that is being expressed in Great Britain over the case of Inspector MacLennan and the issues and enquire as to what further investigations they are now making into the circumstances of his death."
Mr. Blaker was reported to have said that he had consulted the Hong Kong Government and that he would write again when he received its comments.
16. On 23 May 1980, the Acting Commissioner of Police, Mr. Peter Moor, announced that an investigation of Police procedures, which began following the MacLennan's case, had been completed. In a statement, which was widely covered in both the English and Chinese press, the Acting Commissioner said that the Assistant Commissioner, Li Kwan-ha, the officer who conducted the inquiry, had made certain recommendations which would be implemented. Moor was also quoted to have said that "in future, closer liaison would be maintained between the officer in charge of the case and the suspect's Formation Commander." In addition, "Mr. Li had concluded that the original decision by the investigation officers to treat the death of Inspector MacLennan as a clear case of suicide was correct". Given equal prominence by the press on that day, was Mrs. Elliott's comment that the Acting Commissioner's announcement was insufficient, in her mind, to dispel the suspicions which had surrounded the death of the late Inspector MacLennan. She was reported to have said that when the Inquest Jury returned an open verdict, she felt that nothing short of an independent Commission with suggested members approved by the public, would be enough. On the same day, John Griffiths, Q.C., the Attorney General, gave a press conference.
17.
The Attorney General's press conference was widely covered by the media including television, radio, in both the English and Chinese press. In its press conference, the Attorney General said that he had decided not to re-open the Inquest. The reason which the Attorney General gave was that he was totally satisfied that MacLennan had committed suicide. There was overwhelming evidence to support his view, he added, and therefore, he had no reason to re-open the
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