UK Citizens Extradition Fight

By David Litterick in New York

Extradited British businessman Jeremy Crook was still in jail in San Diego last night, despite having been freed on bail by a federal judge. Mr Crook, who denies charges of conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud, was being held by immigration officials who accuse him of being a “deportable alien”. The businessman was last week escorted by US Marshalls from Heathrow to San Diego where he is accused of being involved in the collapse of software company Peregrine Systems.

In court on Friday, he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and was bailed with a cash bond of $250,000. Judge Ruben Brooks also said Mr Crook should be electronically tagged and instructed him to remain in the San Diego area. The judge said that at the next pre-trial hearing, scheduled for next month, he may also consider lifting the restrictions to enable Mr Crook to return to the UK before his trial next April.

However, when his lawyer tried to pick him up later on Friday, he was told Mr Crook was being held by the immigration authorities at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he remained yesterday. It is unclear on what grounds Mr Crook, 56, was being detained. No-one from the San Diego Immigration Service was able to comment.

The NatWest Three, the former bankers extradicted on Enron-related charges earlier this year, are understood to have faced similar problems when they arrived in Houston after being extradited from the UK earlier this year. However, the controversy surrounding their case and the political pressure in the UK led to the personal intervention of US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Mr Crook’s lawyer, Steve Law, said he believed there were up to 50 further British businessmen who could potentially face extradition under the treaty.