[Editor’s note: The subjects of this serial whose name is deleted is former Temple member Terri Buford; her name is revealed on page six of the serial. The deleted information from the memorandum – designated by brackets – which is known to the editor has been indicated by red type.]
0 200126Z DEC 78
FM SAN FRANCISCO (89-250) (P) (SQD 1)
TO DIRECTOR FBI (89-4286) (PRIORITY)
BT
UNCLAS EFTO
RYMUR, 00: SAN FRANCISCO
For information of FBI HQ, [name deleted] [Terri Buford] appeared before a Federal Grand Jury at San Francisco, [Terri Buford], prior to her appearance she furnished two letters which are set out verbatim, below. The substance of this information was reported via San Francisco teletype to FBIHQ (and San Juan) dated December 7, 1978. Below are the letters:
“Associacion Religiosa pro San Pedro, S.A., Panama, September 21, 1978, Union Bank of Switzerland (Panama), Inc., Avenida Manuel Maria Icaza No. 21, Panama, Rep. de Panama. Subject: Numbered account 222-00.042-A, Dear Sirs: with reference to numbered account CC 222-00.042-A maintained by Associacion Religiosa pro San Pedro, S.A. (hereinafter
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“Asociacion”) at the Union Bank of Switzerland (Panama), Inc (hereinafter “UBS Panama”) we hereby confirm our instructions convey to you by our letters of June 1, June 23 and June 26, as well as the instructions given to you on June 27, 1978; and/or instruct you as follows:
1) Any and all funds maintained by Asociacion under numbered account CC 222-00.042-A, specifically the following deposits with UBS/Panama: No. DP 00403, US $200,000, maturity July 5, 1978; 00418, US $1,000,000, July 18, 1978; 00447, US $1,000,000, Harris 21, 1978; 00473, US $1,000,000 September 21, 1978; 00562, US $350,000, May 31, 1979; total US $3,550,000, are, at their respective maturity dates, to be canceled and together with interests earned to be transferred to a new numbered account 121-00.1350-A with UBS Panama.
2) On May 31, 1979, upon completion of these transfers, the numbered account 222-00.042-A will be closed on the books of UBS Panama.
3) In so doing, Asociacion hereby assigns to the holders (owners) of account 121-00.1350-A all its rights to any and all funds previously held under account number 222-00.042-A.
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4) In case of any discrepancies between the foregoing instructions and any instructions previously imparted and communicated to the bank by persons authorized to sign against numbered account 222-00.042-A, the instructions contained herein shall prevail as they are intended to supplement and elucidate instructions imparted previously.
(Signed: Ms. Teresa Jean Buford) and (signed: Ms. Carolyn Layton)”
“Asociacion Religiosa pro San Pedro, S.A., Panama, September 21, 1978, Union Bank of Switzerland, Zürich, Switzerland, Subject: Account no. 220.117.60J maintained by “Asociacion Religiosa pro San Pedro, S.A. (hereinafter “Asociacion”) with head office of Union Bank of Switzerland, Zürich, Switzerland (hereinafter “UBS Zürich”), we hereby confirm the instructions conveyed to you by means of our letters of June 1 and June 26, as well as the instructions given to you on June 27, 1978, and/for instruction as follows:
1) Any and all fixed term deposits or other balances maintained by Asociacion under Account no. 220.117.60J with
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UBS Zürich should be transferred upon maturity of each deposit, including interests earned after you have collected any outstanding charges or fees owed to you by Asociacion, to Union Bank of Switzerland (Panama), Inc. (hereinafter called UBS/Panama) for redeposit in numbered account CC 121-00.135-A maintained at UBS/Panama.
2) The deposits mentioned above, which are subject to the foregoing instructions, are specifically the following: CD – UBS London US $518,000, maturity date: July 25, 1978, interests US $32,496, rate: 6 3/16; CD – UBS London, US $1,009,000, maturity date: July 25, 1978, interests US $63,298, rate: 6 3/16; total of above deposit US $1,622,794, the amount remitted to Panama rounded to the nearest thousand: US $1,623,000.
3) Pursuant thereto, Asociacion hereby assigns all its rights to deposits mentioned above to holders (owners) of numbered account 121-00.135-A maintained with UBS/Panama.
4) With reference to safe deposit account no. 14665/HUK maintained at UBS/Zürich in the name of Teresa Jean Buford, you are hereby instructed to maintain said account open until
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documents, valuables and contents depoted [deposited] therein are withdrawn by the authorized person(s). You are further authorized to debit any charges or fees for use of said account outstanding up to the state to account number 220.117.60J with UBS, Zürich before effecting the remittances mention in item no. 1 of these instructions.
5) Upon completion of these transfers, account no. 220.117.60J in the name of Asociacion Religiosa pro San Pedro, S.A. will be closed on the books of UBS Zürich.
6) Afterwards, any mail from said account still withheld by UBS Zürich should be forwarded via airmail to UBS/Panama and to be held at the disposal of account holders in a special file along with the correspondence withheld for the new numbered account 121-00.135-A with UBS/Panama.
7) You are further authorized to debit account no. 121-00.135-A maintained at UBS (Panama) for any charges or fees owed to UBS/Zürich after account 220.117.60J and/or safe deposit account above mentioned have been closed.
8) In case of any discrepancies between the foregoing instructions and any instructions previously imparted
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and communicated to the bank by persons authorized to sign against account no. 220.117.60J with UBS Zürich, the instructions contained herein shall prevail as they are intended to supplement and elucidate instructions imparted previously.
(Signed: Ms. Teresa Jean Buford, for account 220.117.60J with UBS Zürich), (Signed: Ms. Maria Katsaris, for account 220.117.60J with UBS Zürich), (Signed: Mrs. Esther Lillian Mueller, for account 121-00.135-A with UBS Panama)”
In addition, Buford furnished the following:
The identities of all bank accounts are maintained in the Jonestown homes of either Carolyn Layton or Jim Jones.
A FNU [First Name Unknown] Stokker with the Swiss Bank Corporation in Panama handled all the People’s Temple (PT) transactions for that corporation. However, Stokker assistant transferred by the bank to an unknown location in Switzerland. It was replaced in Panama by “a young guy”, not further described.
In Panama, the PT business was handled by two attorneys, FNU Tapia and FNU Fabarga (phonetic).
AUSA Dondero advises the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown has on its premises 3500 pounds of paper documents taken from
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Jonestown which San Francisco speculates could contain the identities of additional bank accounts.
In addition, San Francisco has submitted an LHM to FBI HQ dated December 7, 1978, enclosing a subpoena for a Swiss Bank Corporation (Overseas) S.A. Apartado 6L, Panama 9A, R.P., Apartado 3370, Panama 4, R.P., Cable Swisbank Panama, telephone 23-9250, account number 100.468.1 believed to be in the name of Briget S.A.
As reported at San Francisco teletype on December 7, 1978, Jim Jones and Carolyn Jones are believed to have a personal account in Curaçao and Jim and Marceline Jones had a personal account in either Trinidad or Bahamas. More specific information is not available.
Helen Swinney advised BQMRA that a bank account in her name was established at the Bank of Barclays of Trinidad and Tobago, Limited in Trinidad for use in purchasing supplies. It contained $60,000.
During original debriefing of Buford’s attorney Mark Lane when Lane was attempting to obtain immunity for Buford, Lane denied Buford had any PT records. However, Buford admitted to
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Federal Grand Jury that she has records (case histories and one half inch of financial records) and was instructed by the foreman to return with the records on January 10, 1978.
San Francisco is not in possession of any further information concerning the PT foreign accounts.
Armed and dangerous – suicidal tendencies.
BT