Lawyers for embattled businessman, Alex Saab have written to the ECOWAS Court asking the court to intervene and stop the government of Cape Verde from proceeding to extradite Mr. Saab to the US.
Femi Falana, the lead counsel for Mr. Saab in his letter to the court said despite an earlier ruling given by the court for the Cape Verde government to halt the extradition processes, the country has commenced processes to extradite the businessman in defiance of the ruling.
He wants the court to take action against Cape Veder over thier defiance.
“We would like to bring to its attention that Cape Verde, in direct defiance of the ruling, has not stayed the extradition process and proceeded to authorize it on January 4, 2021. We are therefore praying the Court further intervention in this matter and decide on the Main Application in light of this,” Femi Falana noted in the letter.
Alex Saab was arrested in Cape Verde on the orders of the US in June 2020 on his way to Iran on official duties for the Venezuelan government.
The US wants him extradited to face charges of corruption, but Venezuela has taken a stance against that decision as Mr. Saab’s lawyers fight to stop the process.
Cape Verde has already agreed to extradite him despite a ruling by the ECOWAS court.
The court ordered Cape Verde to first halt the extradition process and then release him from prison to be kept under house arrest.
The ruling was made on December 2, 2020 based on arguments by the lawyers that Alex Saab was suffering a cancer and the inhumane conditions he was being subjected to in prison could deteriorate his health.
But Cape Verde has not complied with the order.
Femi Falana who is representing Mr. Saab in his letter dated Tuesday January 26, 2021 says although Cape Verde finally complied with the ruling for Mr. Saab to be placed under house arrest instead on Monday January, 25, 2021, the country appears bent on defying the order for the extradition process to be halted.
The court agrees that the process should be halted until it makes a final determination on the substantive matter on whether Mr. Saab should be extradited.
That matter is expected to be determined on February 4, 2021.
