MEETING TO REVIEW ERD'S PLAN FOR MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE CONFISCATION AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS, 25 OCTOBER
1. A meeting to review the ERD plan for Mutual Legal Assistance was held on Wednesday 25 October in the FCO.
Present were:
C JB White, ERD (Chairman) JM Hawkins, ERD
A J Walker, ERD
Miss S Jump, WIAD
Miss R Yeoman, NCAD
P Waterworth, Legal Advisers
P Vallance, C7 Home Office Mrs H Tarrant, C5 Home Office Miss M Manderson-Jones,
HM Customs
J Cooney, HM Customs D/Ch/Insp Brookes,
7
New Scotland Yard D/Ch/Insp G Jones, NDIU
G Adams, CPS
C Faires, CPS
2.
The main points that arose were:
i) Review of Action over last 3 months
(a) The 1989 target for agreements had already been reached. Agreements with Nigeria and Malaysia had been signed and arrangements concluded with Anguilla and Gibraltar.
(b) Mr Vallance said two Parliamentary Questions had been asked asking what progress had been made on agreements to trace, freeze and confiscate the assets of drug traffickers. This illustrated the continuing Parliamentary interest in the subject.
(c) Mr White said that the US Senate had, at last, ratified the UK/US/ Cayman MLAT on 24 October.
(d) Mr White asked where we stood on Guyana. Mr Vallance said that the Home Office had a few difficulties with the Guyanese text. It may be necessary to meet with the Guyanese to sort out these points. He would write formally outlining the posts as soon as possible.
(e) Mr Hawkins reviewed the Malaysia/Pakistan sweep. The reason for the Malaysian visit had been to complete the agreement for signature at CHOGM. This had duly happened. The aim in visiting Pakistan had been to advise on their legislation. The visit had brought the various interested government departments together. The next step was for the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice,
Justice Zahid, to visit London to look at UK legislation and practice. Mr Cooney said the DLO in Islamabad had reported that Zahid's visit was likely to take place on
AW1 ACP
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.