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occasions subsequent to the crash he had admitted his complicity. The accounts of what he is alleged to have said on each occasion varied slightly in detail, but in general they strongly corroborated each other and contained state- ments that he admitted that:
(a) he had sabotaged the aircraft,
(b) he had been promised a reward of HK$600,000,
(c) he had used a small time-bomb which made a slight
ticking noise,
(d) he intended to stow away to Formosa. In addition there was evidence that shortly before the crash and subsequently until he went to Formosa, Chow Tse Ming spent some hundreds of dollars, a sum well beyond his normal means.
As soon
as the warrant was issued the Nationalist Authorities in Formosa were requested to return the man for trial. After repeated reminders they informed Her Majesty's Consul at Tamsui on December 14 that the competent authorities were unable to deal with the matter since the request was not based on legal grounds.
In asking the Nationalist Authorities to hand over Chow Tse Ming for trial, Her Majesty's Government could not, in the absence of an extradition treaty, base their request on legal grounds. They pointed out to the Nationalist Authorities, however, that it was in their own interests that this outrageous crime should be cleared up.
They assured the Nationalist Authorities that Chow Tse Ming would be certain of being justly tried in strict accordance with the laws of Hong Kong and that he would be given every opportunity of presenting his defence.
Despite intensive and continuing investigation, it has not yet proved possible to bring charges against any other persons who may have participated in the crime.