Judge extradited for suspected money laundering
Colin Dines, a retired British judge and former criminal law lawyer, is being extradited from London to Rome to face charges by an Italian magistrate that he was part of a transnational criminal organization complicit in laundering £344 million at the behest of the Mafia.
In 2010, an European Arrest Warrant (“EAW“) was issued against him seeking his extradition. EAWs were approved by the European Union in 2002 to facilitate the extradition of EU citizens to member states to face prosecution. Mr. Dines unsuccessfully appealed his extradition before the England and Wales High Court. In rendering their decision, Lord Justice Hooper and Mr. Justice Singh ruled that there was sufficient evidence showing that Mr. Dines was involved in the alleged money laundering scheme. Mr. Dines subsequently unsuccessfully appealed extradition to the European Court of Human Rights. His son, Andrew Dines, is also being extradited to face similar charges.
The England and Wales High Court decision, Neave v. Court of Rome, [2012] EWHC 358, is available here.