(Editor’s note: This is a cable from the files of the State Department that was included in the FBI’s 2009 RYMUR release of documents under the Freedom of Information Act. It was not included in the State Department’s own release, but we have included identifying information for it using the agency’s designations.)
0 181245Z OCT 80
FM AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3842
RUEHFB/FBI WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEBWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHSP/ AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 3677
BT
CONFIDENTIAL
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE GEORGETOWN 5041
FBI WASHDC PASS FBI SAN JUAN AND FBI SAN FRANCISCO
E.O. 12065: NA
TAGS: CARR, GY (LAYTON, LAWRENCE [Laurence])
SUBJ: EXPULSION OF US CITIZEN LAWRENCE LAYTON
REF: (A) GEORGETOWN 4926; (B) GEORGETOWN 4912; (C) STATE 269399
1. (Limited Official Use – entire text.)
2. A court hearing scheduled for Tuesday, October 21, will consider the merits of the claim by one of Layton’s Guyanese lawyers Jai Narine Singh, that he is owed 95,000 Guyanese dollars (approximately U.S. $38,000) for legal fees and advances. Singh’s claim, which is said to be substantiated by a document signed by Layton in March 1979, does not, however, prevent the Guyanese government from expelling Layton as originally planned. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court along with Justice Desiree Bernard, who issued the writ October 9 instructing Layton not to leave Guyana, told Emboffs [Embassy officers] that any expulsion order would take precedence over the October 9 order. Should Layton choose to appeal an explosion order, the Chief Justice indicated there would be little possibility that the court would reverse such an order and allow Layton to remain in Guyana.
3. According to the Chief Justice, there is a good chance that Justice Bernard, at the October 21 hearing, will rule against Singh’s claim. While this would not, in any case, be necessary for the GOG [Government of Guyana] to proceed with its plans to expel Layton, it would probably make the procedure somewhat faster and smoother. Should you decide that Layton must pay or that more evidence is required, the GOG can still order his expulsion.
4. The Director of Public Prosecutions reiterated to Emboggs [Emboffs] on October 14 that the GOG would continue to cooperate fully with the USG [United States Government] and would provide adequate lead time to enable the FBI to get here to accompany Layton to the US. The DPP said he had no intention of releasing Layton except into USG custody. There would appear at this time to be at least some possibility that Layton [page cut off]
Should the matter carried past the October 24 cutoff date for Pan Am service to Guyana, Layton could possibly be returned on Guyana Airways’ direct service to Miami, which we understand is to commence on a five day per week basis starting around October 25.
Roberts [George B. Roberts, Jr., American ambassador to Guyana]
BT
5241