CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 384
{RECEIVED IN CECISTRY 13 FEB 1991
DESK OFFICE
INDEX
PA
utron T&KE
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
(UT)
G Underwood Esq C7 Division
Home Office
Queen Anne's Gate
LONDON
Man
(Au. If,
LORRAINE OSMAN
London SWIA 2AH
Telephone: 071-
6 February 1991
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1 As I promised when we spoke on 5 February, I enclose a first draft of a possible reply from the Prime Minister to the questions raised about Osman by Dr Mahathir in December.
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1 Except for the passage on the arrangements between us and China for dealing with prisoners in Hong Kong after 1997, which was drafted by FCO Legal Advisers, the draft is pretty thin, drawing together some fairly sketchy raw material. there is anything which you can contribute to enhance the detail on the arrangements for the transfer of prisoners to Malaysia after sentencing (eg what are the "Commonwealth arrangements?), please let me know. Similarly for the passage about Pentonville/Brixton.
3 I agree that we need to tread carefully as regards the amount of information we release about the reason for the move. The guiding principle ought to be the extent to which we judge Osman would be able to exploit any information we provide to delay extradition. If we think a piece of information worthless to Osman in this respect, we should probably release it.
4 I am copying this letter to Nigel Parker and Paul Fifoot (FCO Legal Advisers). As you know, I think it important that we secure the views of Treasury solicitors before we submit to Ministers. I am asking Nigel Parker to do this on our behalf. Meanwhile, we are also consulting Hong Kong about the draft.
RH2ADK
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