Judgment reserved in Ish, Steve extradition case

The Court of Appeal on Thursday reserved judgment on appeals by businessmen Steve Ferguson and Ishwar Galbaransingh to avoid extradition to the United States.

The judges heard arguments over two days and concluded that they would announce their findings at a date to be fixed.

One of the principal points argued by lawyers is that the extradition order is a violation of a citizen's fundamental rights since the relevant legislation did not receive the required constitutional majority in Parliament in order to take effect.

The businessmen are challenging decisions by High Court judges. One challenge is against the decision by Justice Vasheist Kokaram to dismiss a constitutional motion challenging the legality of the Extradition Act. The other questions Justice Joan Charles refusal of a judicial review of the Attorney General’s decision to order their extradition.

Attorney General Anand Ramlogan signed the extradition warrants on October 9 for the businessmen to be sent to the United States to face fraud and corruption charges The two face 95 charges of money laundering and bid-rigging and have been indicted by a U.S. grand jury.