Lonrho links investigated

LINKS between Lonrho, the international trading company, and the Communist government of East Germany are being investigated by the German parliament, it was reported yesterday.

The Bonn authorities, as part of their scrutiny of the former regime, have found documents that detail meetings between Lonrho directors, including the chief executive Tiny Rowland, and trade officials who - unknown to Lonrho - were members of Stasi, the East German state security police.