TNAG-2245-FCO40-3228-Bank-of-Credit-and-Commerce-Hong-Kong-Limited-(BCCHK)-1991 — Page 35

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FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TELNO 1723

OF 20170OZ SEPTEMBER 91

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NIKE COß

ती

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM RICKETTS, HKD

BCCI: ENQUIRY BY LORD JUSTICE BINGHAM

In Stone (66

144341

MDLOAN 4322

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

1. THE SECRETARY TO THE ENQUIRY INTO THE SUPERVISION OF THE BANK OF CREDIT AND COMMERCE INTERNATIONAL (BCCI) UNDER THE BANKING ACTS HAS WRITTEN TO THE FCO AND OTHER WHITEHALL DEPARTMENTS SEEKING COOPERATION IN

THE ABOVE ENQUIRY. WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO EXAMINE OUR PAPERS AND PREPARE A DETAILED CHRONOLOGY OF DOCUMENTS FROM OUR FILES CONTAINING SIGNIFICANT SUBSTANTIVE REFERENCES TO BCCI AND RELATED ORGANISATIONS AND ANY DOCUMENTS WHICH REFLECT FCO KNOWLEDGE OR AWARENESS OF BCCI'S AFFAIRS FOR THE PERIOD 1988 UP TO 5 JULY 1991. WE INTERPRET ''RELATED ORGANISATIONS'' TO INCLUDE BCC (HK). THE PUS HAS AGREED THAT THE FCO SHOULD COOPERATE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE WITH THE ENQUIRY. WE

ARE ASKED TO REPORT BY 30 SEPTEMBER.

2.

A SEARCH OF HKD'S FILES HAS NOT REVEALED ANY REFERENCES TO BCCI BEFORE 5 JULY 91 (FCO TELNO 172 TO NICOSIA - COPY TO HONG KONG WHICH GAVE THE BACKGROUND TO THE LIQUIDATION OF THE BCCI BANKING GROUP). YOUR TELNO 2179 OF 9 JULY GAVE US THE FIRST DETAILS OF THE DIFFICULTIES BEING EXPERIENCED BY BCC(HK). IT THEREFORE LOOKS AS IF WE HAVE A NIL RETURN. IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF YOU WERE ABLE TO ARRANGE FOR US TO RECEIVE CONFIRMATION FROM YOUR OWN FILES THAT YOUR TELNO 2179 WAS THE FIRST SUBSTANTIVE REFERENCE TO BCC (HK) OR ANY RELATED ORGANISATION WHICH HONG KONG SENT TO FCO DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW.

3. YOU WILL WISH TO BE AWARE THAT THE BINGHAM ENQUIRY PLANS TO MAKE DIRECT CONTACT WITH GOVERNORS IN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES TO PUT THE SAME REQUEST TO THEM AS THE FCO HAS RECEIVED.

HURD

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