UK court approves Singapore’s request to extradite StanChart robbery suspect

SINGAPORE — All requirements for Singapore's request to extradite Standard Chartered robbery suspect David James Roach have been met, a London court ruled.

In a joint statement on Wednesday (Aug 29), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) said the court in the United Kingdom has decided that the requirements under UK laws have been met.

Britain's Secretary of State will now decide whether Roach, a Canadian national who allegedly made off with S$30,000 from StanChart's Holland Village branch in 2016, is to be extradited.

"The Singapore authorities are working closely with the UK authorities on the next steps in this matter," both agencies said.

Roach was arrested in London in January this year, while en route to Canada. He was being deported back to Canada from Thailand, where he fled to after allegedly robbing the bank. In June last year, he was sentenced to 14 months' jail by a Thai court for smuggling money into Thailand. The amount the 29-year-old Canadian took in violated money-laundering, customs, and money exchange laws in Thailand, where the limit is US$20,000 (S$27,600).

In February, the Singapore Government assured UK authorities that Roach would not be caned if he is extradited to Singapore and found guilty of the crime. This was because UK extradition laws prohibit the extradition of Roach to Singapore in the absence of such an assurance.

Singapore has an extradition agreement with the UK, but not with Thailand.

TIMELINE OF THE CASE:

• On July 7, 2016, Roach allegedly made off with S$30,000 from StanChart's Holland Village branch after handing a bank teller a note with his demands.

• The same day, he fled to Bangkok and was arrested at a backpacker's hostel three days later.

• He was sentenced to 14 months' jail in Thailand for violating money laundering and customs laws, before he was sent back to Canada.

• On Jan 11 this year while in transit at London's Heathrow Airport, Roach was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police Extradition Unit, and has been held by the authorities since.

BACKGROUND:

• Singapore is seeking the extradition of Roach on one count of robbery and another count of money laundering.

• Both offences carry maximum imprisonment terms of 10 years. Under Section 392 of Singapore's Penal Code, a person convicted of robbery can be jailed up to 10 years and sentenced to at least six strokes of the cane.

• In February this year, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said it was a "fairly obvious" decision between letting Roach "go off scot-free" and extraditing him back to Singapore to face trial, on the condition that he would not be caned as requested by the UK.