Yvette Cooper to Decide on Tulip Siddiq Extradition Request – Guido Fawkes

Yvette Cooper to Decide on Tulip Siddiq Extradition Request

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The Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission has threatened Tulip Siddiq with an Interpol Red Notice this week if she doesn’t show her face in court:

“Now, if the accused Ms. Siddiq does not turn up and surrender before the court, ACC will follow the global practice of taking assistance from Interpol through Bangladesh Police and Ministry of Home. Britain has been a very respected member of Interpol since 1928. Because of non-appearance, the accused would be treated as [a] criminal absconder. Bangladesh, also a member of Interpol, will ask to issue a red alert. The responsibility of the host country of the criminal absconder is to make sure that the accused is arrested and extradited following standard legal procedures.”

Siddiq denies all wrongdoing. If 27 April passes without Tulip’s arrival her trial can begin without her. A Red Notice is an international request for location and arrest of a concerned party prior to their extradition. Bangladesh is classed by the UK as a Category 2 Type B country for extradition. This is the process for those:

• extradition request is made by the requesting state to the Secretary of State.
• Secretary of State decides whether to certify the request.
• Secretary of State sends the case to the court.
• judge decides whether to issue a warrant for arrest.
• the person wanted is arrested and brought before the court.
• preliminary hearing.
• extradition hearing.
• Secretary of State decides whether to order extradition.

This means that at three stages a decision will have to be made by Yvette Cooper with regard to Siddiq if an extradition request is made. The US has stated Siddiq is a matter for the UK and Bangladesh. This is an unprecedented case and could be extremely tricky for Labour if it goes so far. Downing Street has so far refused to say whether they would honour a request. Cooper may wish to find some means of recusing herself…

Siddiq’s lawyers say: ‘The ACC has made various allegations against Ms Siddiq through the media in the last few months. The allegations are completely false and have been dealt with in writing by Ms Siddiq’s lawyers.” Tulip herself calls it a ‘trial by media’…