Michel’s lawyers planning to move ICJ against extradition

New Delhi: The legal defence team of British national and alleged middleman in the VVIP helicopter scam, Christian Michel, is preparing to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) claiming that his extradition to India by the United Arab Emirates was “illegal” and that he should be allowed to go back to Britain. This means that the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is interrogating Michel, does not have much time to question him in case the ICJ rules in his favour and India agrees to abide by that.

According to sources, Michel’s legal team, which is being supported by some British government officials, believes that they have a case against the extradition as an Italian appeals court in September this year, while stating its reason for acquitting AgustaWestland officials of corruption charges in the helicopter deal in January, had stated that “there is, conclusively, no evidence of the corrective agreement stipulated according to the imputation, with the foreign public official, just as it requires the incriminating law”.

Official sources said that Michel’s team is seeking to convince the British government and the media that in spite of not being guilty, as the Italian court judgement shows, he was extradited, which was illegal.

In order to prove his extradition illegal, Michel’s defence team is relying on the argument that he was sent to India because of the “good relationship Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys with the UAE government”.

Government of India is likely to accept the British government’s request of providing consular access to Michel. This was requested by the British officials as soon as Michel landed in India on Monday night. Michel’s extradition is likely to impact the case of fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, who has taken shelter in the UK, while fighting off his extradition to India.

Sources added that the extradition of Mallya, apart from resting on the judgement of the British court, greatly depends on the “attitude” of the British government towards the matter.

“If the British media is convinced that Michel was extradited illegally, their government will come under a lot of pressure not to extradite Mallya and adopt a hostile approach in this case,” an official source said. Whether this will have any effect on the Government of India is an open question.