A view of the home of French architect Patrick Devillers in Phnom Penh (AFP, Tang Chhin Sothy)
Posted Thursday, June 21st, 2012
Voice of America
Cambodian authorities say they will decide on whether to extradite a Frenchman linked to China's biggest political scandal.
Patrick Devillers was arrested on July 13 in the Cambodian capital,
Phnom Penh, on unspecified charges. He is said to have had close ties
to disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai, who is being investigated for
corruption, and his wife Gu Kailai, who has been arrested for the murder
of a British businessman.
Devillers' connection to their crimes has not been explained.
Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Keng told VOA's Khmer Service that
Cambodia has an extradition agreement with China, but any decision on
where Devillers is sent will be made by Cambodia.
“I and the ministry of foreign affairs have already worked with the
French embassy. Cambodia has an extradition agreement with China, which
normally we have to respect it as we have already signed it.
Therefore, once there is a request for an arrest we have to comply with
it, but to where he would be extradited it rest solely on Cambodia's
decision. But for now we have decided to keep him in Cambodia.”
The French embassy says it is closely monitoring the situation and
has asked Cambodian authorities to clarify the reasons for his arrest.
Devillers, an architect, reportedly helped rebuild the northeastern
Chinese city of Dalian while Bo was mayor. He reportedly set up a joint
company with Bo's wife Gu Kailai in Britain and has been living in
Cambodia for more than five years.
Forty-one-year-old British businessman Neil Heywood was found dead
last year in a hotel room in the China's southwestern city of Chongqing.
Police have arrested Gu on suspicion of poisoning Heywood, but few details have emerged from the case.
Chinese state media have suggested that Heywood became too entwined in the Bo family's complex financial dealings.
1 comment:
Cambodian government has the extradite treaty with Chinese government related to crime that both national committed but in the case of Frenchman Patrick Devillers he is French national and not Cambodian national, therefore Cambodian government has no right to arrest him for China. The extradite should take place between China and France, if France allow to extradite Patrick to China then Cambodia can assist France and China by issue warrant arrest to Patrick but beside that Cambodia can not arrest Patrick, he live in Cambodia legally so he should be protected by Cambodian government.
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