[Editor’s note: The text for this document was released in 2014 by the now-defunct Wikileaks website at https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1979PANAMA00136_e.html. This URL may be available through the Wayback Machine.]
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PANAMA 00136 052143Z
ACTION ARA-15
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 JUSE-00 SCS-06 CA-01 L-03 TRSE-00 SSO-00 /026 W
——————082305 052155Z /61
O 052111Z JAN 79
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0487
C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 00136
PLEASE PASS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR HERGEN
EO 12065: GDS, 01-05-85 (BLAKE, MELVILLE E.)
TAGS: EFIN PEOPLES TEMPLE, PN
SUBJECT: PEOPLES TEMPLE FUNDS IN PANAMA
REF: PANAMA 09462
1. EMBASSY HAS RECEIVED FROM MORGAN Y MORGAN COPIES OF LETTERS FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF PANAMA TO THE UNION BANK OF SWITZERLAND AND THE SWISS BANK CORPORATION ASKING THAT THEY FREEZE FUNDS IN THE NUMBERED ACCOUNTS INDICATED AND PROVIDE INFORMATION TO HIM ON THE OWNERS AND AMOUNTS INVOLVED IN THE ACCOUNTS. ALSO SUPPLIED IS A SECOND LETTER HE SENT TO THE UNION BANK OF SWITZERLAND EXPLAINING THAT HIS REQUEST WAS BASED ON A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INITIATED AT THE REQUEST OF THE FBI. COMMENT: HE MAY BE COVERING HIS BASES WITH NOREIGA BY REFERRING TO THE FBI RATHER THAN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. END COMMEND.
2. WE ALSO HAVE COPIES OF LETTERS HE SENT (A) TO THE DIRECTOR GENERAL FOR THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC RECORDS SEEKING INFORMATION FOR HIS INVESTIGATION ON THE BACKGROUND OF “ASOCIACION RELIGIOSA PRO SAN PEDRO, S.A.” AND (B) TO THE OFFICIAL INTERPRETER FOR THE PUBLIC MINISTRY ASKING
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FOR AN OFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF THE 29 PAGES OF DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED TO HIM BY HERGEN.
3. GENERAL MANAGER OF THE SWISS BANK CORPORATION CALLED TO REPORT TO THE ECONOMIC-COMMERCIAL COUNSELOR THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S LETTER AND WERE PREPARING A REPLY WHICH WOULD PROVIDE ALL THE INFORMATION WE WANTED.
4. COPIES OF THE LETTERS AND INFORMAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION ARE BEING POUCHED TO ARA/PAN FOR TRANSMITTAL TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
MOSS [Ambler H. Moss, Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Panama]
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