US embassy cable - 03TEGUCIGALPA2824

UNCLAS TEGUCIGALPA 002824 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO DOJ - GREGORY STEVENS 
DEPT FOR: L/LEI, DOJ/OIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CJAN, KCRM, CASC, HO (MR. MORRIS ARNOLD FREDERICK) 
SUBJECT: EXTRADITION OF ARNOLD FREDERICK MORRIS 
 
REF: TEGUCIGALPA 01608 
 
1. SUMMARY: ARNOLD FREDERICK MORRIS HAS AN OUTSTANDING 
ARREST WARRANT IN THE U.S. FOR CONSPIRACY, ILLEGAL 
CONCEALMENT OF ASSETS, MAKING FRAUDULENT AND FALSE 
STATEMENTS, AND CONSPIRACY TO LAUNDER MONEY. ON MARCH 
18, 1992, MR. MORRIS FRAUDULENTLY OBTAINED HONDURAN 
CITIZENSHIP BY CONCEALING HIS U.S. CRIMINAL HISTORY IN 
AN EFFORT TO AVOID EXTRADITION, SINCE THE HONDURAN 
CONSTITUTION FORBIDS EXTRADITION OF HONDURAN 
NATIONALS. NEVERTHELESS, ON MARCH 7, 1995, THE USG 
OFFICIALLY REQUESTED THE EXTRADITION OF ARNOLD 
FREDERICK MORRIS. ON AUGUST 16, 1996, THE HONDURAN 
ATTORNEY GENERAL REQUESTED REVOCATION OF MR. MORRIS' 
HONDURAN CITIZENSHIP. SUBSEQUENTLY, MORRIS APPEALED 
THIS DECISION THROUGH THE HONDURAN COURT SYSTEM. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. IN A PREVIOUS REPORTING CABLE POST REPORTED THAT 
THERE WERE THREE ACTIONS PENDING IN THE HONDURAN 
COURTS WITH RESPECT TO MR. MORRIS' CASE: 
 
- AN APPEAL FILED BY MR. MORRIS WITH THE SUPREME COURT 
ON MARCH 25, 2002, ARGUING THAT THE REQUEST FOR THE 
CANCELLATION OF HIS HONDURAN CITIZENSHIP SHOULD HAVE 
BEEN FILED BY THE SOLICITOR GENERAL AND NOT BY THE 
ATTORNEY GENERAL. 
 
- AN APPEAL FILED BY THE SOLICITOR GENERAL ON NOVEMBER 
29, 2002, WITH THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE 
ADMINISTRATIVE COURT OBJECTING THE RULING OF THE 
ADMINISTRATIVE COURT IN SAN PEDRO SULA.  THE SAN PEDRO 
SULA COURT HAD SUSPENDED THE CANCELLATION OF HIS 
NATIONALITY WHILE ITS ACQUISITION WAS BEING 
CHALLENGED. 
 
- AN APPEAL FILED BY MR. MORRIS ON MARCH 5, 2003, FOR 
INTERIM EQUITABLE RELIEF IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE 
EXECUTION OF THE RULING RENDERED BY ADMINISTRATIVE 
COURT IN SAN PEDRO SULA ON OCTOBER 24, 2002, AND 
REJECTED BY THE SOLICITOR GENERAL ON JUNE 9, 2003. 
 
3.  On November 18, 2003 Post sent a request for a 
status report to the Ministry of Government and 
Justice. On November 28, 2003, Post received a 
response through Official Note number 1456-DSG0 dated 
November 25, 2003, stating the following: 
 
-  Regarding the November 29, 2002 appeal filed by the 
Solicitor General with the Court of Appeals of the 
Administrative Court (File number 160-2002), objecting 
to the ruling of the Administrative Court in San Pedro 
Sula, which suspended the cancellation of Mr. Mr. 
Morris' Honduran nationality while the acquisition was 
being challenged: the Ministry informed Post that the 
Court of Appeals of the Administrative Court ordered 
that a judicial communication be sent to the Circuit 
County Court of Pinellas, Florida, requesting 
information about the results of the sentence it 
imposed for a minor offense involving violence (for 
example, time served, parole, compliance with 
conditions of parole, etc.). 
 
-  REGARDING THE SEPTEMBER 8, 2000, APPEAL FILED BY 
MR. MORRIS WITH THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE 
ADMINISTRATIVE COURT CONCERNING THE REPOSITION OF THE 
RULING RENDERED BY THE ADMINISTRATIVE COURT IN SAN 
PEDRO SULA, CONCERNING THE SUBMISSION OF EVIDENCE (013- 
2000-SPS): THE MINISTRY INFORMED POST THAT ON OCTOBER 
10, 2003, THE ADMINISTRATIVE COURT IN SAN PEDRO SULA 
RULED IN FAVOR OF MR. MORRIS. HOWEVER, ON NOVEMBER 5, 
2003, THE SOLICITOR GENERAL FILED AN APPEAL. 
 
-  THE MINISTRY'S RESPONSE DID NOT MENTION THE MARCH 
25, 2002 SUPREME COURT APPEAL FILED BY MR. MORRIS, 
WHICH ARGUED THAT THE REQUEST FOR THE CANCELLATION OF 
HIS HONDURAN CITIZENSHIP SHOULD HAVE BEEN FILED BY THE 
SOLICITOR GENERAL AND NOT BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 
(FILE NUMBER 650-02). 
 
4.  POST WILL CONTINUE TO ADVISE THE DEPARTMENT OF 
DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS CASE AS THEY ARISE. 
 
PALMER