十
ли
Mrbox Man
Wr H.
pa.
тид
13/6
MON
10 DOWNING STREET
LONDON SWIA 2AA
THE PRIME MINISTER
384/1
55
4 June 1991
10 HKD 384/1 4/6.
RECEIVED IN Šprietovi
5 JUL 19
"Jar
Porme Hirscher,
DE
OFFICE
IND
PA
I promised, when we met on 19 December 1990, to look into the question whether Lorrain Osman, if convicted of the offences on the basis of which his extradition is sought by the Government of Hong Kong, might serve any prison sentence in a Malaysian or even British jail. You later wrote to me to ask whether he might be returned to Pentonville or some other prison from Brixton where he is now detained.
On the first point, I understand that there are no existing arrangements under which it would be possible for Mr. Osman, if convicted, to serve any sentence imposed in Hong Kong in Malaysia. The question of what arrangements might be made to facilitate such a transfer is a matter which your law officers may wish to explore with the legal authorities in Hong Kong. Transfers to prisons in this country are normally restricted to British citizens, although the Home Secretary has discretion to extend the arrangement to other people if he believes it would be appropriate to do so because of their close ties with the United Kingdom. Transfers do of course require the consent of both Governments and the prisoner concerned.
Mr. Osman's main argument for not wishing to serve any sentence in Hong Kong seems to be his fear that he could be transferred to mainland China if he was still in prison after 1997, when Hong Kong reverts to the People's Republic of China,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.