Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Enron trio lose extradition fight

BBC

Three British bankers have lost their High Court battle against extradition to the US to face charges over the collapse of energy giant Enron.





Lord Justice Laws ruled that the case involving the former NatWest trio was "perfectly properly triable" in the US.

David Bermingham, Gary Mulgrew and Giles Darby have always maintained their innocence of "wire fraud" and say they should be tried by a UK jury.

The men will now try to take their battle to the House of Lords.

Enron collapsed in 2001 after admitting inflating profits and hiding debts.

The case has generated criticism of extradition laws that mean the US is not required to provide "prima facie" or solid evidence of wrongdoing to extradite a UK citizen.

Britain must still provide the US with evidence of "probable cause" if it wishes to extradite someone from America.

Mr Bermingham of Goring, Oxfordshire, Mr Mulgrew, of Sible Hedingham, Essex, and Mr Darby, of Lower South Wraxall, Wiltshire, have been accused of seven counts of "wire fraud" by the US.

The three are alleged to have conspired with former Enron executives over the sale of part of the company in 2000, which made them a total of $7.3m (£4.2m).

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