TNAG-2921-FCO40-4196-Visits-and-proposed-visits-by-Alastair-Goodlad--Minister-of--1993 — Page 68

brief.glad.NAT

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CONSULAR CASES

Au Wing Cheung and Wong Chuen Ming

10. Mr Goodlad may meet Mr Howard Young, a Hong Kong Legislative Councillor, who has raised these cases with him on several occasions. Briefly, Messrs Au Wing Cheung and Wong Chuen Ming are two Hong Kong citizens who have been held in prison in Manila since 7 September 1991 for possession of drugs. They filed an application for judicial review of their cases but before this could be considered all their records were destroyed in a fire on 18 January 1992. The review finally took place on 24 March 1993. Early in December 1993 our Embassy in Manila learnt by chance that the motion for review of these cases had been dismissed by the Philippine judge. It will now be considered by the Supreme Court. The two prisoners were unaware that the motion had been dismissed although their attorney had filed an appeal.

11.

Mr Howard Young is convinced of the innocence of these men. Mr Goodlad has written to the Philippine Ambassador in London and raised the matter during his visit to the Philippines on 10 August with the Philippine Solicitor General. Our Embassy in Manila have also been pressing these cases. They have now sent a note to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to protest that the Embassy was not informed of the judge's decision and are writing to the Solicitor General to remind him of Mr Goodlad's interest and asking that the Supreme Court should reach a speedy decision (it can take up to a year) and that the Embassy should be kept fully informed at all stages. The Embassy have also sent Mr Young, who is considering replacing the prisoners' lawyer, a copy of their list of lawyers.