French woman extradited after giving up court case
Laurence Liegeois, a French woman who along with her partner, was at the centre of an extradition battle, has dropped a constitutional case and been extradited to France, where she will serve a 15-month term with her movements monitored by an electronic tag.
Her legal counsel, Emmy Bezzina, said this morning that her partner, Alan Schmitt, had vowed to continue the constitutional case and the fight against extradition.
“He will go to the whole hog, even to the European court,” Dr Bezzina told a press conference.
The couple is wanted by the French authorities for escaping from prison following their convictions for kidnapping, extortion and illegal arrest.
A Maltese court had upheld the French extradition request, but the couple filed constitutional proceedings claiming violation of their human rights over the way they were treated in custody.
Dr Bezzina said Ms Liegeois had opted to give up the proceedings because she wanted to see her son in France.
He insisted, however, that the application the couple had filed to marry in Malta ‘still stands’ even if they were to be married ‘by proxy’.
Dr Bezzina said Mr Schmitt is still being held in the forensics section of Mt Carmel Hospital, but he has now been assigned a 24-hour nurse.
He said that it appeared that Fr Mark Montebello was not being allowed by the prison authorities to see him. He had been refused access and when he asked why, he was told that it was for security reasons.
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Adriano Spiteri
Mar 11th 2010, 14:41
Mr Vella you are stating this our of your ignorance. This is a legal battle and he should be given the necessary treatment as suggested by the responsible specialist/s.
If you want to point your finger, point it at the Government who issued a tender fro two doctors and two nurses to work with 'irregular' immigrants. Now that is the real problem - people we did not invite, did not accept and are not willing to accept. People who broke our border laws and were given total immunity. People that are breeding like cats and forming a parasite community. Illegal people in the process of becoming legal thanks to this pathetic Government led by a super-pathetic PM.
T Camilleri
Mar 12th 2010, 08:54
You and also Mr Vella are correct. The case has dragged on for too long with the defense trying to make us believe that the French Courts are despotic and French prisons concentration camps. Simply bringing up all sorts of excuses means more money being wasted from our taxes and wasting our courts time.
victor vella
Mar 11th 2010, 12:32
An escaped convict gets a 24 hour nurse for his personal supervision and maltese patients have to wait thier turn for the nurse's attention. Le Le qedghin sew, kompli iddefendih Dr Bezzina forsi jghamle xi sentejn Malta.