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Autonomy boss can be extradited to the US

by on23 July 2021


Lynched

The founder of UK software firm Autonomy can be extradited to the US to face charges of conspiracy and fraud, a London court has said.

Mike Lynch sold Autonomy to US computer giant Hewlett Packard (HP) for $11 billion in 2011. However, HP insists it bought a dog and blames him for the losses the company made after it took over.

Lynch denies allegations that he fraudulently inflated the value of Autonomy before the sale. He has been facing civil charges at the High Court in London, where HP is suing him for damages over the deal.

Separately, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) is pursuing criminal charges against him. Judge Michael Snow said he would deliver his ruling in that action without awaiting the civil verdict, saying it was "of limited significance in the case". Lynch was released on bail by the judge in London.

Lynch told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the decision was not unexpected, because of the terms of the extradition treaty the UK has with the US. This basically means that anyone the US wants to arrest and drag before one of its kangaroo courts are handed over.

Lynch pointed out that there was an imbalance and the default extradition treaty which means that US corporations can use the justice system to enforce their interests.

"The insanity of this extradition treaty [is that] it doesn't rely on any facts", he said.

Lynch added that he felt the extradition treaty was "imbalanced" and that the British public did not realize that the US justice system works entirely differently to the UK's. He said it was "particularly egregious" that the DoJ was not waiting to see the full judgement from the UK High Court, which will be due in nine weeks' time.

He claimed his former chief financial officer Sushovan Hussain, who was jailed for five years in 2019, did not receive a fair trial.

Defence witnesses were forbidden to turn up to Hussain's trial because they were told they would be arrested if they entered the US.

The case is now up to the UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to rule on. If Lynch were an immigrant he would have been deported a long time ago, but since he is a business person he might at least get some consideration. Hussain though was shipped out so it is unlikely.

 

Last modified on 23 July 2021
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