TT national extradited to US

A statement issued yesterday by the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs said Young signed the warrant of committal (by consent), which was presented before Acting Chief Magistrate Maria Busby Earle-Caddle by the Central Authority Unit, for Sookdeo’s extradition.

The ministry said this is another victory for the Attorney General and the Central Authority Unit in the co-ordination of efforts with their international counterparts in the fight against crime.

Sookdeo is alleged to have committed several offences.

These include one count of conspiracy to defraud the US and to commit theft of government funds (which is punishable with a maximum term of five years imprisonment); one count of false claims to the US (which is punishable with a maximum term of five years imprisonment) and one count of interstate and foreign transportation of money taken by fraud (which is punishable with a maximum term of ten years imprisonment).

He is alleged to have committed these offences between 2006 and 2010 in the US and Canada before fleeing to this country.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, upon being advised by the Central Authority Unit that it had received a request from the US for the Sookdeo’s extradition, signed the authority to proceed on July 28. This triggered the extradition process. Sergeant Narace of the Interpol Bureau swore to and obtained the warrant of arrest from the court.

Sookdeo was arrested by Interpol police on July 28 in Debe, south Trinidad. He was taken before Earle-Caddle in the Port of Spain Eighth Magistrates Court on August 2. Attorney Graeme Mc Clean, head of the Central Authority Unit, and Netram Kowlessar appeared for the US. Sookdeo consented to being extradited to the US.