HKD 384/1
RECEIVED IN DECIS
30JULISE
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
Mr Burns
PS/PUS
LORRAIN OSMAN
ny
セ
RESTRICTED
From:
pa.
62
|^"^22/7
PB Yaghmourian
SEAD
16 July 1991
Date:
CC:
Mr Carter
Mr Morris, HKD
Mr Parker, Legal Advisers
Mr Underwood,
Home Office
Division,
Problem
1. A journalist, Kevin Cahill, has written to Sir John Coles about
the Lorrain Osman case. He alleges that meetings and correspondence between Sir David Gillmore and the Malaysian MFA took place in 1983 and were intended to influence the Hong Kong police investigation
into Osman's activities.
Recommendation
2.
Mr Cahill has already received two letters from Sir John Coles, in reply to his earlier correspondence on this case. I recommend that he should be given a short departmental reply this time, which goes no further than the line taken by Sir John Coles, and that any future correspondence should be dealt with similarly. I submit a draft of the reply I propose to give. Legal Advisers, HKD and Home office concur.
A
Background
3.
The PUS will recall the case of Lorrain Osman, a Malaysian businessman held in the UK pending extradition to Hong Kong to face
charges of corruption, from his time as High Commissioner in Kuala
Lumpur. A background note by the Home Office is attached.