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is complicated by the fact that the American FBI have, in response to an enquiry by the Special Branch, confirmed that one of the revolvers was reported stolen by the Jersey City Police Department on 14 June 1969. We presume that their erstwhile owners do not know that one at least of the revolvers is stolen property! My suggested solution is that the arms should be confiscated after due process in the Hong Kong courts. Nevertheless, perhaps you may feel that we should not do this without at least making some attempt to give the Congolese an
No opportunity to collect them under suitable safeguards. No?ell
cannot quite see how they could do this without getting themselves in a muddle again!
7.
I
It
Perhaps you would let me know by a short X telegram if this three-pronged device seems sensible.
would only be after receipt of it that we would put the machinery in train to hand the suitcase back to Air France for onward delivery and put the case of the revolvers and ammunition before a Hong Kong court.
8.
I hope you have enough material in the telegram under reference and my letter of 30 March to refute the absurd allegations in the Congolese Note that we have behaved wrongly.
9.
To complete the dossier, I think you might as well have also the Special Branch memorandum dated 24 March which explains as best we can how the suitcase came to arrive from Paris on the Air France flight on 10 July 1976 in the first place.
10.
I am sending a copy of this letter, together with the other papers, to Dick Stratton in Kinshasa.
As my predecessor here, he will have a very good idea of how this bizarre situation has come about and of the need to protect the role played by the Special Branch in relation to the documents. As you will see, they are all sealed.
You
ever;
Alan Jonald
(A E Donald)
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