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FM PARIS
TO IMMEDIATE FCOTM
TELNO 1036
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MMD 384/1
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OF 181818Z OCTOBER 93
12 OCT 1993
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
88
161507
MOHIAN 9554
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19/10.
TOP COPY Q DIST?
PARIS TELNO 1028: EXTRADITION TO HONG KONG FROM FRANCE OF SANIMAN
SUMMARY
1.
Justice Minister signs extradition decree. Surveillance operation establishes that Saniman has left his home address. news on whether he has left France.
DETAIL
No
2. Potocki (Head of International Affairs, Justice Ministry) told Us on 18 October that Justice Minister Mehaignerie signed the Saniman extradition decree on 18 October. It was now with Prime Minister Balladur, who would sign it this evening or on 19 October. The parties would then be notified of the extradition decree.
Potocki thought that Saniman probably would appeal against extradition.
3=
4. We also asked Poinas (Head of Anti-terrorist Unit, Interior Ministry) for details of the surveillance operation. He said that it began on the evening of 15 October, and was being carried out by the Police Judiciaire. It had already confirmed that Saniman had left his home address "several weeks ago". The next step was to search elsewhere in France.
COMMENT
5. The legal process is proceeding smoothly and faster than usual. The key point now for the case is whether Saniman is still in France. As we have been stressing for ten days to our Interior and Justice contacts, if Saniman has left France it would be embarrassing for France and viewed extremely seriously by HMG and
HKG.
6.
The French machinery is now grinding.
We do not see a need for
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