and by now have been released. On 15th June, 1992, the Home
Secretary personally made an order that Mr. Osman be returned to
Hong Kong under s. 12 of the Extradition Act 1989 in order that
of fraud.
he should stand trial on charges of
Mr. Osman now
challenges that decision. He contends that he will not receive
a fair trial in Hong Kong, that even after he is returned to Hong
Kong (which he regards as a foreign country) he will probably
have to wait at least two and a half years before his trial could
commence and he fears, if he is convicted, that after 1997, the
Chinese Government could even sentence him to death as his
offences would be economic crimes for which sentence of death is
at present imposed on mainland China. That short summary of Mr.
Osman's situation explains why his personal circumstances have
understandably attracted considerable sympathy and media
attention.
However, the Hong Kong Government see the position
differently. They allege that Mr. Osman was a party to fraud on
an enormous scale, involving many millions of pounds, from which
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