So, does anyone have any thoughts on the extradition of the Nat West three?

[edam]

Just wondering. I don't often sympathise with millionaires who can hire expert PR companies and top lawyers to fight their case - they are perfectly capable of looking after their own interests - but they do seem to have exposed serious injustice in our extradition arrangements with the US. And it is bizarre that British people, accused of committing a crime in Britain against their British employer, will be tried in the US.

obviously not!

Yeah, this freaks me out enormously. The extradition law change is really really strange. As usual, put in place for terrorist stuff, and used for anything.

Does anyone know if Serious Fraud type stuff is jury trials in the US? I hope so, you can never get a fraud conviction with a jury.

Oh, the crime sorta happened nowhere, though, from what I know of it. I mean, it was an international finance crime (if it happened etc etc). But yeah, they should be subject to UK law, I would think.

I think there have been a few threads on this this week, Edam.

But fwiw, you have articulated exactly how I feel on the subject.

And to be crude about it, Blair is turning into Bush's bitch.

Yes, that's what worries me, laws are sneaked in under the excuse of terrorism and then used for other purposes - like prosecuting people who read out a list of names in Whitehall.

Yeah there is another thread re this. Appalling imho - are we just Bush's lapdog or wot?

Oh, I thought there must be, but did a search on current messages and couldn't see it.

Here I think

This and Israel making my anti-American, or more precise Anti-Bush levels rise.........

Well, in a way I'm glad the accused here are wealthy people who have the resources to make a huge fuss about it. If it was just an ordinary person, no chance of getting the matter brought to public attention.

I wonder how many other people have been extradited under this treaty, for which alleged crimes?

Apparently, this was rushed through the commons with a 90 minute committee stage, so presumably the MPs who voted for it didn't look at it properly or consider it was important. Idiots.