British man in fraud charge extradition row
A British businessman who tried to surrender voluntarily to face fraud charges in the US must await formal extradition and travel under arrest, his lawyer said today.
Jeremy Crook, former European vice-president of software firm Peregrine Systems, had wanted to fly to the US on his own accord to face the allegations which he strenuously denies.
The 53-year-old had booked a flight for next Tuesday and was understood to be in negotiation with the US Department of Justice about potential bail conditions.
However, when he attended Westminster Magistrates Court yesterday to request his passport, he was refused and told he must go through the full extradition proceedings.
It means that if he doesn’t appeal, or loses an appeal, he will be arrested and accompanied by US marshals on his flight.
Mr Crook is the latest high profile extradition case after three former NatWest bankers were extradited to the US for the alleged £11m (€16.2m) Enron-related fraud.
However, unlike the NatWest bankers, he has never contested extradition.
His lawyer, Steve Law, said the US Justice Department had been amenable to Mr Crook travelling of his own accord, but UK authorities intervened.
Mr Law said lawyers in the UK, on the behalf of the US, claimed the application to surrender was opposed, which he said was untrue.
“That is tantamount to calling me a liar,” he said. “They said they were instructed to oppose the surrender when in fact they were not.”
Mr Law said that the UK was sent an extradition warrant for Mr Crook more than year ago but did not issue it until April this year.
His lawyer hoped that by surrendering voluntarily, Mr Crook would be able to return to the UK while on bail.
A request was put in for the passport, but yesterday Mr Crook was told that as the Home Secretary had signed the extradition warrant on August 21, he would have to go through full proceedings.
Mr Law said he was getting in touch with the Justice Department today to find out what happened.
"We have no beef with the States, they have been perfectly civil,” he said. “It is only because of the UK authorities getting involved that the matter has become uncivil.”
“They are doing all they can to stop Mr Crook surrendering because they fear that he will return to the UK and make a noise about the extradition treaty.”
Mr Law said he had until September 4 to appeal to the High Court otherwise Mr Crook will go “under arrest with marshals”.
Peregrine Systems collapsed in 2002 after a major accounting scandal and several senior managers were accused of fraud.
Mr Crook’s name was added to the indictment in 2004 and if found guilty he could face a maximum sentence of 86 years.
