TNAG-0820-FCO40-1027-Narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 153

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GRS 350

CONFIDENTIAL

BANGKOK 200955Z

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 450 OF 20 NOV

CONFIDENTIAL

73

FOR DUNCAN FROM GORING-MORRIS

YOUR TELNO 305: RITA NIGHTINGALE

HKK 385/2

5/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 2 1 NOV 1978

DESK OFFIC];

INDEX

RECRY

Action Ten

CL2

75

1. I WENT THROUGH THE RELEVANT SECTIONS OF YOUR TUR WITH DAVID LYMAN WHEN HE CALLED TODAY. SOUTHWORTH WAS ALSO PRESENT. 2. LYMAN SAID THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF HIS HAVING BETRAYED ANY CONFIDENCE THOUGH HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT WHAT YOU HAD TOLD HIM ON 3 OCT WAS E FACT TO BE TREATED AS CONFIDENTIAL. HAD, HOWEVER MENTIONED IN HIS DEALINGS WITH THE THAI MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR THAT HE HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WHILE IN LONDON.

3.

HE

REGARDING QUOTE GOOD NEWS UNQUOTE, HE DID NOT IN FACT HAVE

ANY.

IT WAS MORE A QUESTION THAT THERE WAS NO MORE BAD NEWS. HIS TALKS WITH THE INTERIOR MINISTRY HAD BEEN AMICABLE ( HE HAS NOT YET APPROACHED THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE) AND THERE WAS GEVERAL ULMPATHY TOWARDS HELPING MISS NIGHTINGALE. HOWEVER, THE DIRECTOR

GENERAL OF THE CORRECTIONS DEPT. WAS A STUMBLING BLOCK AND THE MINISTRY THOUGHT THAT SOME FRESH EVIDENCE IN MISS NIGHTINGALE'S FAVOUR WOULD HAVE TO BE PRODUCED IN ORDER TO REMOVE IT. THIS WAS WHY THE DEFENCE THOUGHT THAT THE HONGKONG CONNECTION WAS SO IMPORTANT (HE REFERRED IN PARTICULAR TO WHAT YOU HAD TOLD HIM IN PARA 3 OF YOUR LETTER OF 11 OCT TO ME).. IF EVIDENCE WERE AVAILABLE TO SHOW THAT SHE WAS NOT A KNOWING CARRIER, THIS MIGHT MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. LYMAN THOUGHT THAT SUCH

EVIDENCE WAS AVAILABLE ON OUR FILES TO PROVIDE SATISFACTORY ANSWERS TO HIS QUESTION 43, ALTHOUGH HE HIMSELF DID NOT THINK THAT THERE HAD BEEN A MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE IN THE THAI COURTS. 4. LYMAN ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE DEFENCE LAWYERS WERE STILL NOT ALLOWED TO VISIT MISS NIGHTINGALE PRIVATELY AND THAT THEY WERE STILL INTERESTED IN GETTING A PHOTOGRAPH OF LEWIS. HOWEVER, WHEN I MENTIONED THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP OVER THESE ISSUES HE DEMURRED, SAYING THAT HE WOULD PREFER TO KEEP US IN RESERVE FOR .

CONFIDENTIAL

/SOMETHING