India 'swapped' Michel for Princess Latifa?
LONDON: Allegations that Christian Michel, accused of being at the centre of the bribery scandal in the VVIP AgustaWestland helicopter deal, was extradited from Dubai in a "swap" for India sending back Dubai's Princess Latifa have led Michel's family's lawyer in London to declare he is sending Michel's case to the United Nations.
Asian and European diplomatic sources in New Delhi told a British newspaper at the weekend that Michel was extradited from Dubai in an "exchange" for India sending back Latifa.
Toby Cadman, an international human rights lawyer from Guernica 37 Chambers in London, is the lawyer who took the Latifa case to the UN. He is now advising the Christian Michel family. The idea Michel's extradition had been a swap has "been alleged on more than one occasion", TOI quoted Cadman as saying on Wednesday.
"It is a matter that will need to be properly investigated and this is a matter which will be taken to the UN," he declared. "I cannot divulge at this time the nature of the evidence as this will need to be presented to the appropriate judicial authority. I can confirm there are serious concerns as to the nature and procedure concerning the extradition from the UAE to India and that will need to be properly scrutinised. It is anticipated that the Indian judicial authorities will recognise that there is no proper legal basis to hold Mr Michel and he should be discharged immediately and allowed to return to the UK," Cadman said.
Cadman added: "The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention can look into the case and issue an opinion on the legality and/or arbitrariness of detention, and, if they consider appropriate, recommend his release."
Michel, 57, a British millionaire arms dealer, was extradited to Delhi from Dubai, where he runs a business, last month and is being interrogated by the CBI and the ED.
The decision to extradite him came just eight months after India sent back Princess Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum, the 33-year-old daughter of Dubai's billionaire ruler, who was intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard when she was attempting to flee her gilded prison lifestyle in the UAE to travel to the US.
Latifa's yacht was intercepted off the coast of Goa in March 2018 and she was sent back to Dubai in a joint India-Emirati operation, despite demanding asylum.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, said: "This joint operation was approved by Prime Minister Modi after a personal telephone call with Sheikh Mohammed. Because of India's participation in this illegal action, they have faced considerable international criticism, including an official enquiry by the UN.
