TNAG-2954-FCO40-4231-Extradition-cases-from-the-UK-and-France-to-Hong-Kong-Lorrai-1993 — Page 147

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Hong Kong legal system was second to none in Asia and that there could be no possible foundation to these rumours. However since I had not the faintest idea who the co-accused may be (other than Osman), in what conditions they are being held, and for how long, whether yet interrogated etc, I could not add anything of greater substance. But it is clearly important that we should get rid of some misconceptions on this score. This material would best not be included in the ministerial letter, but might be handed over as a separate

aide mémoire.

9.

All this material should be ready by the end of March: our recommendation would be in favour of taking action before Easter unless Mitterrand has not been able to put together a government.

10. Finally, I asked Mme Masse-Dessen about timing, and especially whether the present government could possible steam-roller a judgement through the Conseil before 21 March. she thought this would be impossible. The fastest she thought the Conseil could move would be to finish before 14 July. Normally such an appeal took 2 years (Thébault also spoke of this latter time-scale).

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