Witness in NatWest 3 case is found dead
A London banker who has been questioned as a witness in the US case against three British businessmen nicknamed the NatWest Three has been found dead in a London park and is thought to have committed suicide.Neil Coulbeck, 53, who told friends he felt he was being "hounded" by the American authorities during their pursuit of his three former colleagues disappeared from his £700,000 home in east London eight days ago. His body was found on Tuesday morning in a secluded wood 15-minutes' walk from his home in Woodford Green.
The case is causing consternation in the UK because the three men are to be extradited under a controversial new treaty signed by Blair, which has not been ratified by the Americans, meaning that UK citizens can be extradited to the US without any UK court having to hear any evidence of wrongdoing before the extradition can take place.
As the US have not ratified the Treaty, this means that there is no reciprocal measure for Americans who the UK might want to extradite here.
Blair announces this as if it makes the whole process reasonable. As the Prime Minister of the United States of America's fifty first state, we should expect such nonsense from him.The banker, who was head of financial markets in North America for NatWest and its eventual owner, the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), between 1992 and 2000, worked alongside the three men accused of fraud. David Bermingham, Giles Darby and Gary Mulgrew, who have fought a long campaign against their extradition to America under new "fast track" procedures, will fly to Houston early today from Gatwick Airport under escort by US federal marshals to face charges of fraud.
The Prime Minister yesterday ruled out any renegotiation of the new treaty, which has yet to be ratified by the Americans. But Mr Blair said that he expected the three Britons to be granted conditional bail in America after being told that US prosecutors would not oppose such a move.
Click title for full article.
Tags:
4 comments:
Always keep to hand the five fingers of Fraudulism
Much as I like the idea of any banker being prosecuted, I have to think what is our (UK) government playing at?
If as a UK citizen I am now subject to American laws, does that mean I get American voting rights?
Perhaps this is what Jean-Marie Colombani meant when when he said "We are all Americans now" (12 Sept 2001).
BTW- Yours is a truly excellent blog!
Alex,
I am with you all the way. Can we now vote in US elections as our citizens appear to be subject to US laws in a way that is not reciprocated by US citizens under our laws?
Blair has sold us out, once again, and made us no more than the 51st state.
Hmmm. This "suicide" could also be interpreted as some kind of a murder cover-up. We have no autopsy, the Natwest 3 are being released on bail, the administration has known connections with Enron and its associates, and secrecy is getting really damn tiresome. I smell a mafia. Hey, nobody ever said the mob can't run for office!
Post a Comment