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Arab wanted by police over Martine Vik Magnussen murder 'may face Yemen
trial'
By Tim Butcher in Yemen and Richard Edwards
Daily Telegraph
Last Updated: 5:26pm GMT 22/03/2008
An Arab "playboy" wanted for questioning over the killing of a Norwegian
student in London could face trial in his native Yemen, which supports
capital punishment, government sources in the country have revealed.
Photo:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/graphics/2008/03/22/wyemen122.jpg
Farouk Abdulhak: Arab wanted by police over Martine Vik Magnussen murder
'may face Yemen trial'
Farouk Abdulhak is alleged to have
fled in his fathers private jet
Farouk Abdulhak is believed to be in hiding after leaving England 24 hours
before the body of his university friend, Martine Vik Magnussen, was found
in the basement of the block of flats where he lived.
Detectives have issued an appeal for him to return to Britain to face
questioning.
However, the suspect's billionaire father, Shaher Abdulhak, has suggested
that if his son was charged by Scotland Yard he would consider inviting
British prosecutors to try him in Yemen, because there is no extradition
arrangement between the country and Britain.
Mr Abdulhak senior, one of the richest men in the country, has said he would
disown the 21-year-old if he was responsible for the death of Miss Vik
Magnussen.
The Yemeni source said: "The family are aware of the political sensitivity
of this case and, in order to satisfy concerns, they would consider inviting
British lawyers to come and take part in a trial here, if he was charged.
With no extradition treaty in place, it would be a compromise."
Detectives are still trying to piece together the last movements of Miss Vik
Magnussen, a socialite and a student at a business school in central London.
She was last seen leaving a nightclub in London in the early hours of last
Friday morning together with Mr Abdulhak. At some stage they returned to his
flat in Great Portland Street.
Records show that Mr Abdulhak flew out of Britain on Saturday - allegedly on
his father's private jet - before Miss Vik Magnussen's semi-naked body was
found the next day.
She suffered "significant" injuries to her neck and police believe she was
strangled. Detectives refused to discuss whether there was a sexual element
to the attack but said the 23-year-old was missing her jeans, Guess watch,
Marc Jacobs handbag, snakeskin shoes and Christian Dior earrings.
Police have not named Mr Abdulhak - a "playboy" who was known as DP because
of his love of Dom Perignon champagne - as a formal suspect and are
continuing to gather evidence while awaiting the results of further forensic
tests.
Abdul Kader Mohammed Kahtan, the head of Interpol in Yemen, said that no
extradition treaty is in place between Yemen and Britain, but added that,
under the national law, any Yemeni accused of a crime outside the country
could be tried in a Yemeni court if the legal authorities were convinced by
the case presented by the police in the country where the crime was
committed.
However, depending upon what charges were brought, Britain would face a
diplomatic problem because under Yemeni law a murder suspect faces the death
penalty if convicted - often by firing squad.
Britain's opposition to capital punishment would make it unlikely that such
a trial would go ahead.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/22/wyemen122.xm
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