Dubai's attorney general will push for the extradition of a British citizen accused of a $1.7 billion fraud in Denmark, after a local court rejected a Danish request this week.
Essam Issa Al Humaidan has appealed against the ruling by Dubai Court of Appeal judges which allowed Sanjay Shah to remain in the emirate.
A fresh hearing will be heard before the Court of Cassation, the highest court in the three-tier system.
Shah, a hedge fund manager who lived in a mansion on Palm Jumeirah, remains in detention, his lawyer told The National this week.
“In accordance with the authority vested in him under the Law of International Judicial Co-operation, the Attorney General of Dubai has appealed the ruling of the Dubai Court of Appeal refusing the extradition request,” a statement from Dubai Government Media Office said.
Shah is wanted by Danish authorities for alleged tax fraud.
Danish tax authorities accused Mr Shah of being a key player in a scheme in which foreign businesses pretended to own shares in Danish companies to claim tax refunds for which they were not eligible
Dubai Police arrested Shah in June following a request by Denmark.
On Monday, judges said UAE prosecutors acting on behalf of the Danish government had not properly submitted court documents that met the threshold for extradition, though they did not release full details.
Following that decision, Shah's lawyers began pushing for his release.
Then, in an unexpected turn of events on Thursday, judges in Dubai presiding over a civil lawsuit filed by the Danish government ruled that Shah must repay $1.25bn to the Danish state.
Dubai's extradition of criminal suspects
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1. Moufide 'Mouf' Bouchibi was arrested in Dubai after spending a decade evading capture by authorities. Courtesy, Dubai Police -
1. Moufide 'Mouf' Bouchibi used forged identification in an effort to evade detection, but Dubai police used artificial intelligence technology to track him down. Courtesy, Dubai Police -
2. Ramon Abbas, known as Hushpuppi, faces decades in jail if convicted of alleged frauds worth hundreds of millions of dollars -
2. Ramon Abbas, originally from Nigera, posed as a real estate investor and businessman, before his arrest in Dubai. Courtesy: Dubai Police / Dubai Media Office -
3. Amir Faten Mekky was wanted by Interpol, and arrested after a sting operation by Dubai special forces on June 3. Image via Dubai Media Office / Twitter -
4. Leon Cullen, one of UK's most wanted men was arrested in Dubai in January 2020, and returned to the UK in February 2021 to face trial. Courtesy, Cheshire Police -
5. Mugshot images of Edinburgh-born alleged fraudster Afzal 'Bobby' Khan, who the FBI said was arrested in the Emirates. He was extradited to New Jersey, accused of fraud. Courtesy: FBI Most Wanted
