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India, Malaysia to sign extradition treaty

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

With the Cabinet on Tuesday approving the signing of the extradition treaty between India and Malaysia, the likelihood of the main accused in the Bofors scam, Ottavio Quattrochi, being extradited to India has increased.

N J Krishna, the principal information officer of the government, told reporters that the proposed treaty would provide a legal framework for seeking the extradition of fugitives.

Although India had earlier requested Malaysia for extraditing Quattrochi, the absence of an extradition treaty between the two countries had proved to be a stumbling block.

According to Krishna, any person accused or convicted on an extraditable offence, who is wanted by one contracting state, shall be extradited, whether such offence was committed before or after the entry into force of the treaty.

She pointed out that an offence, punishable under the laws of India and Malaysia with imprisonment for a period not less than one year or with death, will be an extraditable offence.

An offence, consisting of an attempt to commit an extraditable crime, will also be considered extraditable.

Offences of purely fiscal character will also be extraditable offences under the treaty, she added.

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