TNAG-2245-FCO40-3228-Bank-of-Credit-and-Commerce-Hong-Kong-Limited-(BCCHK)-1991 — Page 48

!

From:

Date:

All Heads of Department

CC:

R B Bone

Economic Relations Department 13 September 1991

PS/PUS

Mr Bayne

Mr Fairweather

Mr Gore-Booth

Mr Chamberlain Legal Advisers

BCCI:

1.

INQUIRY BY LORD JUSTICE BINGHAM

Please refer to the letter attached of 4 September to the PUS from the Secretary to the Inquiry into the Supervision of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI). Similar letters have been sent to the Permanent Secretaries of other Government Departments. The Inquiry will also be inviting the regulatory and other relevant authorities in Luxembourg, Abu Dhabi, Pakistan and the Caymans to assist with submissions, evidence and documents. It is, clearly, of the utmost importance that the FCO cooperates to the fullest extent possible with the Inquiry.

2.

The PUS would therefore be grateful if you would take whatever steps you consider necessary to identify documents on your department's files for the years 1988 to 1991 inclusive which contain significant substantive references to BCCI and related organisations and any documents which reflect. FCO knowledge or awareness of BCCI's affairs. Having identified such documents, a list should be prepared containing, for each document, its file reference and a brief (no more than 3 lines) description of its nature and contents. The list should cover documents up to 5 July, when the BCCI was put into liquidation. Documents after that date are not required. Please send your department's list to me by 30 September. Nil returns are required. You need not send me the documents themselves at this stage, but you should be ready to send copies upon request.

3. I attach a copy of a telegram which I am sending today to all posts, except for those in Dependent Territories, asking them to conduct a similar exercise and to send their lists to parent FCO departments. When these have been received, please arrange for them to be forwarded to me with a note identifying any documents listed by posts which were not copied to your respective departments and do not, therefore, appear in your lists.

RB Bone

ливи

168asoj