GIVE TRIAL A CHANCE, SAY US LAWYERS

Lawyers seeking to have an Auckland man extradited to the United
States say the credibility of witnesses should be determined by
cross-examination in a trial and not judged at an extradition hearing.

US detectives claim that Hing Hung Wong, aged 37, said to be the
deputy chief of an Asian drug cartel, masterminded a 486kg shipment of
heroin that was busted by Californian customs agents in 1991 - at that
time the biggest seizure in US history.

Wong's lawyers will launch their final arguments this morning as they
fight to stop him from being extradited.

The head of Wong's defence team, John Haigh, QC, told the Auckland
District Court this week that much of the US evidence was worthless.

US detectives made dodgy transcripts of bugged phone calls, a mystery
witness called "John Doe" was a convicted drug dealer with little
credibility, and another witness had offered only hearsay.

But a lawyer for the US, Mike Ruffin, said yesterday that Doe's
credibility should not be determined at an extradition hearing and the
"hearsay" witness was relevant because other drug dealers in the US
could be called to confirm his evidence.

Mr Ruffin said the value of the phone transcripts should also be
decided during a trial rather than at an extradition hearing.

Wong's lawyers argued on Tuesday that two bundles of sworn statements
provided by the US had been signed just once each by a judge, meaning
that only the document on the top of each pile was properly certified.

All the papers underneath - including the affidavits of key witnesses
- - could not be trusted.

But Mr Ruffin said the documents were fine because they were bound
together by a red ribbon that was attached to official seals.

Wong, arrested in January, has been bailed on some of the strictest
terms seen in this country.

Judge Robert Kerr is expected to give a decision tomorrow.