TNAG-2389-FCO40-3471-Extradition-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-case-of-Lorrain-Esme-Os-1991 — Page 187

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MDHOAN 3422

DIFFICULTY OF FINDING ANYONE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT IS COMPOUNDED BY

THE ZAIREAN PRACTICE WHEREBY ONE PERSON MAY BE KNOWN UNDER A

VARIETY OF GIVEN AFRICAN NAMES AS WELL AS A EUROPEAN NAME.

3 =

THE FCO WAS FIRST CONTACTED AT APPROXIMATELY 01.30 ON THE

MORNING OF 2 MAY. THE RESIDENT CLERK (THE FCO DUTY OFFICER) RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM MISS FIONA SPENCER, THE PRIVATE SECRETARY TO MR PETER LLOYD, MINISTER OF STATE AT THE HOME OFFICE, ASKING THAT INSTRUCTIONS BE SENT AT ONCE TO THE KINSHASA EMBASSY TO MEET THE FLIGHT UTA 785 ARRIVING IN KINSHASA FROM

PARIS AT 0420 2 MAY. EMBASSY OFFICIALS WERE TO TRY TO MEET A PASSENGER CALLED MAKUNSA MBALA (THE APPLICANT) WHO WOULD BE ARRIVING UNDER ESCORT, HAVING BEEN REMOVED FROM THE UK. THEY WERE TO ASK THE APPLICANT IF HE WISHED TO RETURN TO THE UNITED

KINGDOM, AND IF SO THEY WERE TO LOOK AFTER HIM AND ARRANGE FOR HIS RETURN BY THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE FLIGHT.

4.

ALTHOUGH THE FLIGHT HAD LANDED BY THE TIME THE MESSAGE WAS

RECEIVED IN KINSHASA, THE EMBASSY WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE

APPLICANT AT KINSHASA AIRPORT: HE WAS STILL WITH IMMIGRATION

OFFICIALS, HAVING ARRIVED ON A UK TRAVEL DOCUMENT. THE DEPUTY

HEAD OF MISSION ASKED THE APPLICANT ON THE TELEPHONE AS

INSTRUCTED WHETHER HE WISHED TO RETURN TO THE UK AND THE

APPLICANT SAID THAT HE

WENT TO THE AIRPORT TO

AND

DID. MR SCHROEDER, THIRD SECRETARY, THEN COLLECT THE APPLICANT'S TRAVEL DOCUMENT THE APPLICANT WAS BOOKED ON THE FLIGHT SCHEDULED TO LEAVE

KINSHASA THAT EVENING 2 MAY.

5.

HOWEVER AT 16.15 GMT ON 2 MAY AT THE REQUEST OF THE HOME

OFFICE THE FCO INSTRUCTED THE EMBASSY IN KINSHASA TO INFORM THE

IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES THAT IT WAS NO LONGER AN IMMEDIATE REQUIREMENT FOR THE APPLICANT TO RETURN TO THE UK. AS A RESULT

THE DEPUTY HEAD OF MISSION AND THE THIRD SECRETARY WENT TO

KINSHASA AIRPORT IN THE EVENING OF 2 MAY TO TELL THE APPLICANT OF

THIS DECISION. THIRD SECRETARY EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS NO

LONGER ANY URGENT NEED FOR APPLICANT TO ATTEND COURT PROCEEDINGS

IN THE UK, BUT ASKED HIM TO REMAIN IN TOUCH WITH THE EMBASSY. THE APPLICANT GAVE TWO CONTACT ADDRESSES: KIGOMO 124 ZONE DE

KINSHASA, AND YOLU SUD, ZONE DE KALAMU, RUE DE MOBALI NO 24. APPLICANT THEN LEFT THE AIRPORT WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION BEING

RAISED BY IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS. THE LATTER HAD BEEN

CONSISTENTLY HELPFUL AND AFTER COMPLETION OF IMMIGRATION

FORMALITIES HAD ALLOWED THE APPLICANT TO STAY AT THEIR OFFICES

WHILE AWAITING THE RETURN FLIGHT TO THE UK.

THE

6. ON 4 MAY THE HOME OFFICE REQUESTED THAT EVERY EFFORT BE MADE

TO CONTACT THE APPLICANT AND TO ARRANGE FOR HIS RETURN TO THE UK

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. MR SCHROEDER, THIRD SECRETARY, VISITED THE

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