UAE Federal Supreme Court upholds extradition of tax-evading Asian national

Abu Dhabi - The judgment upholding his extradition was issued instead of his arrest.

The Abu Dhabi Federal Supreme Court has upheld the verdict of extradition for an Asian national wanted for tax evasion and economic fraud.
 
It affirmed that the Extradition Court's due process was followed regarding the requirements for extraditing a national, reported Emaratalyoum. The court need not inquire into the legality of the request as long as the national is wanted for a crime that would have no less than six-months imprisonment.
 
The Attorney General referred the wanted suspect to the criminal department at the Federal Court of Appeals. They looked into whether he should be handed over to the authorities in his country of origin.
He is being charged for fraud, possession of foreign currency, abusing his position as an employee, tax evasion and official fraud.
 
The man denied the charges brought against him and his defence lawyer presented his statement that the order of his arrest was issued in his absence and five years after the fact.
This is far after the stipulated time period stated in Article 18 of Law No 39 of 2006 in the matter of international judicial cooperation for criminal matters. The lawyer also demanded a review of the investigative records. 
The Federal Supreme court issued its ruling based on the fact that the extradition order came from the other country's federal authorities. The warrant was in compliance with the treaties signed between that country and the UAE. The judgment upholding his extradition was issued instead of his arrest, and it will be upheld until his situation is decided.
The court indicated that the accompanying documents are sufficient for the extradition order, so long as they are authenticated by a judicial authority's seal that had undertaken the investigation, or the competent administrative authority.
The story originally appeared here.

• Abu Dhabi