Legal challenge to extradition bid

Friday 26th June 2009, 2:59PM BST.

Accountant Philip de Figueiredo

JERSEY does not have the legislation to extradite a local accountant facing charges in connection with an alleged multi-million tax fraud in Australia, according to his defence lawyer.

In the first day of Philip Eric de Figueiredo’s extradition hearing Advocate Mike O’Connell said that the Magistrate’s Court did not have the power to send the 56-year-old to Australia.

The Australian government is seeking to extradite Mr de Figueiredo, of St Martin, on charges related to tax fraud and money laundering.

Yesterday in the Magistrate’s Court Advocate O’Connell said to Assistant Magistrate Bridget Shaw: ‘There is no legislation in Jersey to which the prosecution can direct you and to which you are bound which says that a fiscal offence is capable of amounting to an extradition offence.

Today Mrs Shaw will continue to hear legal argument in relation to extraditing Mr de Figueiredo to Australia.

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