Court orders extradition of British fugitive David McDermott
An Accra High Court has given the State the green light to extradite David McDermott, a British fugitive, to the United Kingdom to stand trial over drug related charges.
The court held that there was indeed a treaty between Ghana and the United Kingdom and the charges levelled against Mc Dermott constituted offences in both countries and so it was proper for him to go and clear his name.
The Court, presided over by Mrs Justice Merley Wood, noted that a prima facie case had been made by the State against McDermott following investigations and the witnesses adduced by the State.
The court held that “from the totality of evidence and a careful study of the Extradition Act and the Narcotics Drug Enforcement and Sanctions Act, the charges levelled against the fugitive were not political in nature.
The court, therefore, remanded Mc Dermott into the BNI custody and gave the State 15 days to enable it to procure the necessary documents and the court orders for the extradition.
At the last sitting, Mr Richard Gyambiby, a State Attorney, contended that McDermott had been mentioned in a narcotic case in the UK.
The State held that the offence took place in the UK hence the need to send him back to stand trial.
Mr Gyambiby said that UK and Ghana had a treaty, which supported the extradition.
Mr Victor Kojogah Adawudu, the Defence Counsel, however, said narcotic was not an extradition crime.
Mr Adawudu said with the interpretation of sections of the Law, there was no mention of narcotics being an extradition crime as the prosecution wanted the Court to believe.
He said a look at the charges preferred against the accused showed that he could be tried in Ghana and there was no need to extradite him.
On his client’s arrest, the Defence Counsel noted that prosecution should have followed some laws and procedures before McDermott’s arrest.
He said McDermott was arrested without any bench warrant, which had been issued by a Magistrate’s Court.
A look at the inventory, the Counsel contended, was that no drugs were found among the items that the Police seized from the accused.
McDermott, 42, is wanted for his role in a conspiracy to import £71 million worth of cocaine into the United Kingdom in 2013.
McDermott is being held over conspiracy to supply cocaine.
He was apprehended in Ghana on March 11, this year, based on an extradition request issued by the British High Commission to the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ghana.
At the earlier appearance in a circuit court, McDermott’s charge of engaging in prohibited business relating to narcotic drugs was withdrawn.
On May 16, 2013, McDermott and four others, allegedly held a meeting at the KFC in Liverpool UK and discussed the importation of the 400kg of cocaine that was intercepted in beef imported from Argentina.
He has reportedly been a fugitive for the past three years, escaping from UK authorities.
He has, however, been in custody in Ghana since he was picked up in Accra on March 11, this year.
Source: GNA