Fugitive tycoon returns to face charges
Source: Agencies |
August 27, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
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BUSINESSMAN Asil Nadir flew back to Britain yesterday - 17 years after he fled while awaiting trial on theft charges stemming from the collapse of his Polly Peck business empire.
Nadir, who had been living in northern Cyprus, which has no extradition treaty with Britain, arrived at Luton airport near London on a flight from Turkey.
Nadir, who says he is innocent, told reporters on the plane he hoped the climate in Britain was now right for him to get a fair trial.
"I'm delighted ... that, after making such an effort all these years, the environment now is acceptable and it's correct for me to go back and hopefully get a closure to this sad affair," the Cyprus-born businessman told Sky News.
Nadir, 69, who had been a major donor to the Conservative Party, cast little light on why he has chosen to return now, except to say he was innocent and wanted to right the injustices he alleges he suffered in Britain.
Nadir's departure rocked the Conservative government of then Prime Minister John Major, leading to the resignation of a minister who had links to the businessman and questions over the conduct of the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office.
Last month, a London court agreed to grant Nadir bail providing he returned to Britain to face 66 theft charges relating to the Polly Peck fruit-to-electronics empire, which collapsed with debts of 1.3 billion pounds.
Nadir bought into Polly Peck in 1980, when it was an ailing textiles firm. It soon became a stock market darling with its share price rising more than 100 times. But in 1990, administrators were called in, uncovering one of Britain's most spectacular business failures.
Nadir, who had been living in northern Cyprus, which has no extradition treaty with Britain, arrived at Luton airport near London on a flight from Turkey.
Nadir, who says he is innocent, told reporters on the plane he hoped the climate in Britain was now right for him to get a fair trial.
"I'm delighted ... that, after making such an effort all these years, the environment now is acceptable and it's correct for me to go back and hopefully get a closure to this sad affair," the Cyprus-born businessman told Sky News.
Nadir, 69, who had been a major donor to the Conservative Party, cast little light on why he has chosen to return now, except to say he was innocent and wanted to right the injustices he alleges he suffered in Britain.
Nadir's departure rocked the Conservative government of then Prime Minister John Major, leading to the resignation of a minister who had links to the businessman and questions over the conduct of the investigation by the Serious Fraud Office.
Last month, a London court agreed to grant Nadir bail providing he returned to Britain to face 66 theft charges relating to the Polly Peck fruit-to-electronics empire, which collapsed with debts of 1.3 billion pounds.
Nadir bought into Polly Peck in 1980, when it was an ailing textiles firm. It soon became a stock market darling with its share price rising more than 100 times. But in 1990, administrators were called in, uncovering one of Britain's most spectacular business failures.
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