Rhett Fuller extradition case in the hands of Foreign Minister
Rhett Fuller
Businessman Rhett Fuller went to court again today in his long battle against his extradition. Fuller, who handed himself in to police on the twenty-second of August sought bail but was not successful before Justice Adolph Lucas. He will remain at the prison until Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington, makes a determination on whether or not the Belizean will be handed over to the US Government. His attorney, Eamon Courtenay, is not giving up and says that next week they will make representation to Minister Elrington.
Eamon Courtenay, Attorney for Rhett Fuller
“Well as you heard what happened was that unfortunately Mr. Justice Lucas concluded that he did not have the power to grant bail; I emphasize at this stage. The current position is that having lost in the Privy Council, the next stage in the extradition process is to make a request to the Minister to decide whether or not he is going to surrender Mr. Fuller. That date is next week Wednesday on the seventh of September the Minister is going to receive the representations.”
Jim McFadzean, 7 News
Eamon Courtenay
“So he’s not making a decision next Wednesday?”
Eamon Courtenay, Attorney for Rhett Fuller
“I don’t suspect that he will make a decision but he will listen to the representations and anytime thereafter he can make a decision. I mean theoretically he could make a decision right then and there but I would think that he would want to weigh all the evidence that is put before him. Thereafter we hope that the Minister is going to accept the representations that we make and order that Mr. Fuller not be returned to the United States. Essentially what is going to happen is that he turned himself in inorder to ensure that rule of law would prevail and what the Judge was saying to us in short is that the matter is with the executive. If the executive were to decide, if the Minister decides that he’s going to surrender Rhett to the Americans, it is precisely that question, I just spoke to attorney for the learned counsel for the Attorney General’s Ministry indicating that we would like an undertaking from them that if the Minister, in the unlikely event that the Minister were to rule that Rhett be surrendered that we be given sufficient time to come back to court for the court to review that decision. Now we would expect that once the matter is back in the hands of the court we could then make another petition for bail because the reason the judge didn’t give bail just now is because there is nothing pending in court.”
Ann Fuller
Ann Fuller, Wife of Rhett Fuller
“I’m just really taken aback that they chose to go that route, however the reasons that the judge stated still gives me hope. He stated that it is going; normally the Supreme Court would have the jurisdiction to rule for if the petitioner is going to be appearing once again in another court. So therefore it would be holding him until he appears again, which in this case this is a bit different.”
Fuller has gone all the way to the Privy Council in London but on August ninth, he lost his extradition appeal. His case dates back to 1990 when a US national was murdered in Florida, USA.
You are gone this corrupt gov and pm already got their 30 pieces of silver for you paid for by the American ambassador so pack your bags you are gone.
I believe that Mr Fuller should be extradited, if he is innocent then he will be given the chance to prove it. He is fighting this extradition to the bitter end , why ! ! it make me wonder if he is not guilty of the crime. Sad as it may seem, if it was my family member I would want to see justice. I wish you the best Mr Fuller but go and prove that you are innocent.
If Rhett is guilty of the crime he allegedly committed, then he must man up face the music and have his day in court. If the evidence provided fails to find him guilty, then he should not be here sweating bullets. I am just a layman, not a lawyer but listening to previous interviews with Rhett makes me believe he has something to hide. Not once did he declare his innocence. Not once!
Sedi needs to do the right thing and let justice take it’s course.
It is strange how a kid commit a crime and expect to get away with it, the long arm of the US will prevail. Elrington should be careful in his decision as this may now cause a domino effect on wannabe law breakers in the US. They will now run home and laugh at the US.
Victor:How many pedophiles from the US have evaded punishment in Belize and flee to the US.Yet no one in Belize request that they be extradited back to Belize to face justice.Where was Mr Elrington when the Lady Ruhah,ma trafficked all those Belizean kids to the US?and why havn’t the said Minister of foreign Affairs requested that she be extradited back to Belize to face justice.Let’s stop the double standard,what is good for the Goose is good for the gander.
Rhett, is fighting a losing battle, as the United States will get him one way or the other. Should the Minister refuse to approve his extradition, it will only be good for as long as this government is in office, and since he is charged with an offense that has no statute of limitation he will be a wanted man until the day he die. He will not be able to go across the boarders as he will be under constant surveilance. Once someone is charged for an offense in the United States only the Prosecuter or a Judge can decide if that person should or should not go to trial, as we saw recently in the case of the former head of the IMF. The most troubling situation in this case, is technically Belize still has the death penalty on the books, so is Florida; so can the Minister get an agreement that he will allow him to be extradited provided he will not face the death penalty should he be found guilty? Of course he will be able to appeal until he exaust all appeal options.
I BELIEVE IF HE IS BELIZEAN HE SHOULD STAY IN BELIZE. WHAT EVER HAPPENED IN THE US HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BELIZE… WE HAVE TO STAND STRONG AS ONE NATION AGAINST THE CAPITALISED MIND…..