RESTRICTED
From:
THKD 384/1
Date:
Cc:
ESK
5 JUL 1991
CEF
PA
Mr Stewart
Mr Burns
PS/Sir Robin Butler
.STRY
laker
60
Me Hague,
MJ 4/1
+ pa
PB Yaghmourian
SEAD
2 July 1991
Sir John Coles o/r
Mr Morris, HKD
Morris,
Mr Parker, Legal Advisers
Mr Davies, PRU (fi)
Mr Underwood, C5, Home Office
LORRAIN OSMAN: ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION
Problem
He
1. Niall Andrews MEP has written to Sir Robin Butler with reference
to allegations of corruption in the Lorrain Osman case.
complains that Osman has been held in prison for 5 years.
Recommendation
2. I recommend that Sir Robin should give a robust reply, making it
clear that the allegations have been investigated and rejected by
the courts on several occasions, and that Osman's prolonged detention is due to his extensive use of the appeals procedure. submit a draft letter. HKD, Legal Advisers and the Home Office
concur.
I
A
B
Background and Argument
3. Mr Andrews raises the case of Lorrain Osman, a Malaysian detained in the UK pending extradition to Hong Kong to face charges of fraud, in a letter to Sir Robin Butler of 21 June. The formal
complaint to which he refers was sent by Kevin Cahill, a journalist
who has worked closely with Osman's solicitors to publicise his
case, in March. Mr Cahill said he was enclosing a "formal complaint
MA1ADF