ID :
139240
Wed, 08/25/2010 - 14:28
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http://m.oananews.org//node/139240
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Thai PM: Extradition of Russian arms dealer delayed
BANGKOK, Aug 25 - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Wednesday the extradition of alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to the US was not possible today pending legal procedures.
The prime minister said Mr Bout is now being detained in a Thai jail and there are several steps in the legal process (before Thailand can extradite him).
Chief prosecutor for Foreign Affairs Sirisak Tiyaphan said Thailand has not yet extradited Mr Bout to the United States because new charges have been filed against him by the US prosecutors. Prosecutors are awaiting US legal documents stating that the additional charges are dropped.
Mr Sirisak explained that Mr Bout also has been charged with money laundering, electronic fraud and document fabrication.
The US authorities have to submit a letter of notification stating that they have dropped additional charges against Mr Bout to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry will then forward the letter to the Office of the Attorney-General which will submit it to the court immediately.
The chief prosecutor for foreign affairs asserted that there is no political or foreign intervention in the Thai judicial process.
Mr Bout is in solitary confinement at Bangkwang Central Prison amid tight security and closed-circuit cameras. A special 20-strong contingent of prison guards are assigned to the high-profile prisoner.
Corrections Department director-general Chartchai Sutthiklom said the department was contacted by the prosecutors that the process has been pending new charges.
After the court order, extradition must take place within 90 days. He said the documents are expected to be ready in a few days. An American jet with air marshal is waiting to take Mr Bout to the US, however, the date of extradition will be kept confidential, he said.
The Thai Court of Appeals last week ruled that Mr Bout, dubbed the Merchant of Death, must be extradited within three months, or else be permitted to go free. It overturned a lower court's ruling in August 2009 that rejected a US request that Mr Bout face trial there.
Mr Bout, a 43-year-old former Soviet air force officer, has denied any involvement in illicit activities including arms trafficking to conflict zones in Africa, South America and the Middle East. He claimed he ran a legitimate business.
His arrest at a Bangkok luxury hotel in March 2008 was part of an elaborate sting in which US agents posed as arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which the US government classifies as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Bout was subsequently indicted in the US on four terrorism-related charges that include conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to FARC.
The US indictment also charged Mr Bout with conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill US officials or employees, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. He could face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. (MCOT online news, agencies)
The prime minister said Mr Bout is now being detained in a Thai jail and there are several steps in the legal process (before Thailand can extradite him).
Chief prosecutor for Foreign Affairs Sirisak Tiyaphan said Thailand has not yet extradited Mr Bout to the United States because new charges have been filed against him by the US prosecutors. Prosecutors are awaiting US legal documents stating that the additional charges are dropped.
Mr Sirisak explained that Mr Bout also has been charged with money laundering, electronic fraud and document fabrication.
The US authorities have to submit a letter of notification stating that they have dropped additional charges against Mr Bout to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry will then forward the letter to the Office of the Attorney-General which will submit it to the court immediately.
The chief prosecutor for foreign affairs asserted that there is no political or foreign intervention in the Thai judicial process.
Mr Bout is in solitary confinement at Bangkwang Central Prison amid tight security and closed-circuit cameras. A special 20-strong contingent of prison guards are assigned to the high-profile prisoner.
Corrections Department director-general Chartchai Sutthiklom said the department was contacted by the prosecutors that the process has been pending new charges.
After the court order, extradition must take place within 90 days. He said the documents are expected to be ready in a few days. An American jet with air marshal is waiting to take Mr Bout to the US, however, the date of extradition will be kept confidential, he said.
The Thai Court of Appeals last week ruled that Mr Bout, dubbed the Merchant of Death, must be extradited within three months, or else be permitted to go free. It overturned a lower court's ruling in August 2009 that rejected a US request that Mr Bout face trial there.
Mr Bout, a 43-year-old former Soviet air force officer, has denied any involvement in illicit activities including arms trafficking to conflict zones in Africa, South America and the Middle East. He claimed he ran a legitimate business.
His arrest at a Bangkok luxury hotel in March 2008 was part of an elaborate sting in which US agents posed as arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which the US government classifies as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Bout was subsequently indicted in the US on four terrorism-related charges that include conspiring to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons to FARC.
The US indictment also charged Mr Bout with conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill US officials or employees, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. He could face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. (MCOT online news, agencies)
