Extradition controversy resurfaces
A British businessman indicted for fraud in the US could be brought here in chains even though he's offered to travel voluntarily to face the charges, reigniting the controversy in Britain about the extradition treaty with America. Stephen Beard reports.
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LISA NAPOLI: A British businessman indicted for fraud in the United States could be brought here in chains. That despite the fact that he's offered to travel voluntarily to face the charges in the US. The case has reignited the controversy in Britain about an extradition treaty between the UK and America, as Stephen Beard reports.
STEPHEN BEARD: The businessman is a former director of the San Diego-based software company Peregrine Systems. His name, rather unfortunate in the circumstances, is Jeremy Crook.
He's been charged along with former American colleagues of defrauding shareholders. At the request of the US authorities his passport has been confiscated and he's been told to await formal extradition.
Damien Reece of Britain's' Daily Telegraph says the US seems intent on publicly humiliating him.
DMAIAN REECE: He's willing to travel to the US voluntarily. There's no need for chains. There's no need for leg irons. But unfortunately in this case, he is going to have to go through the whole extradition process.Reece is campaigning against the US/UK extradition treaty which, he says, gives the US disproportionate power to secure the extradition of British citizens.
In London, this is Stephen Beard for Marketplace.
