its rules of procedure, decide whether or not it is admissible under the Optional Protocol to the Covenant. Decision of 24 November 1986, signed jointly by the President of Panama and the Minister of the Interior and Justice; he was free after that date, until he was rearrested for further offences.2 5.2 At its thirty-sixth session, the Committee considered the admissibility of the communication. With respect to the requirement of exhaustion of domestic remedies, the Committee noted the State party’s contention that the author had failed to avail himself of effective remedies but observed that it had not, at that point in time, denied that the author had no access to legal counsel, nor indicated how he could have resorted to further local remedies in the absence of such assistance. In the circumstances, the Committee concluded that the requirements of article 5, paragraph 2 (b), of the Optional Protocol had been met. 4.3 Concerning the further judicial proceedings against Mr. Wolf, the State party explains that on 15 September 1988 the Juzgado Primero of San Miguelito found the author guilty of signing an uncovered cheque to the order of a supermarket, and sentenced him to two years’ and 10 months’ imprisonment and an additional 87-day fine at the rate of 2.5 balboas a day. At the same time, the Juzgado Octave continued to investigate one further charge of fraud against the Compaña Xerox de Panama, and another one of forgery to the detriment of Apartotel Tower House Suites. Mr. Wolf was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on the first charge; he appealed, and the case was transferred to the Second High Court of Justice (Segundo Tribunal Superior de Justicia), which ordered the Juzgado Quinto to join the indictments and pronounce a single sentence. In the second case, oral proceedings had been scheduled but could not proceed, because the accused had left Panamanian territory. 5.3 On 27 July 1989, the Committee declared the communication admissible and asked the State party to forward copies of the indictments against the author and of any relevant court orders and decisions. None were received. 5.4 The Committee has noted the State party’s submission of 6 December 1989, made after the decision on admissibility, in which it again argues that the communication is inadmissible on the ground of non-exhaustion of domestic remedies, and that the author had had legal representation. The Committee takes the opportunity to expand on its admissibility findings. 4.4 The State party affirms that the author’s claims are without any foundation (reclamación carente de todo fundamento), that the judicial proceedings against Mr. Wolf were conducted in full respect of the requirements laid down under Panamanian law, and that the author was not only represented, but that his representatives used the legal recourses available to them, in the best interest of their client. The State party adds that if some of the judicial decisions could not be notified to the author, this was probably because he had left the national territory. The State party does not, however, provide further details about the course of the judicial proceedings, nor about the author’s legal representation or the identity of his representatives. 5.5 The State party submits, in general terms, that judicial proceedings against the author remain pending, and that the latter was assigned legal counsel. It is implicit in rule 91 of the Committee’s rules of procedure and article 4, paragraph 2, of the Optional Protocol, that a State party to the Covenant should make available to the Committee all the information at its disposal; this includes, at the stage of the determination of the admissibility of a communication, the provision of sufficiently detailed information about remedies pursued by, the author. The State party has not forwarded such information. It has confined itself to the observation that the author’s representatives availed themselves of the legal remedies open to the author, in his best interest. Thus, there is no reason to revise the Committee’s decision on admissibility. Issues and proceedings before the Committee 5.1 Before considering any claims contained in a communication, the Human Rights Committee must, in accordance with rule 87 of 2 According to the author, however, he was released on bail in the spring of 1986 and rearrested in August 1986 (paras. 2.6 and 2.7). In his comments of 8 February 1989, the author claims not to know anything about the purported presidential pardon of November 1986, a time subsequent to this second arrest. 6.1 Concerning the substance of Mr. Wolf’s allegations, the Committee notes that the State 82