Not that we should care what this criminal has to say, but it was interesting anyway. And it helps us understand the brilliance of the liberal mind from a criminal who, knowingly or not, speaks about the liberals’ Canada and their ideas of refugees and immigration and extradition and law and order and justice, which is based on the ingenious premise of “protect criminals and terrorists at all costs”. (Hat tip: Maureen, Marc, and emailers)
Fugitive calls Canadians ‘idiots’
By TERRI THEODORE
VANCOUVER (CP) – A fugitive banker fighting extradition to Thailand for a decade because his lawyers say he fears torture says Canada is full of “unintelligent idiots,” he doesn’t want to stay here and he isn’t really worried about his future.
Rakesh Saxena is currently in jail awaiting a last-ditch appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada to stop his extradition.
He said Thursday he regrets coming to Canada to fight allegations by the Thai government that he embezzled $88 million from a Bangkok bank.
In a phone interview from a Fraser Valley pre-trial centre, Saxena pointed out courts in Britain and Australia have thrown out similar allegations against others accused by the Thai government.
“In hindsight, I picked the wrong country,” he said.
“I didn’t want to live in Canada, it’s the last place, it’s full of unintelligent idiots,” said the man who’s spent much of the last decade living in a luxury Vancouver condo under a unique house-arrest arrangement.
When it was pointed out that Canadian taxpayers have likely spent many millions in court and legal fees processing his extradition, Saxena said “that’s because of the stupidity of your government.”
[…] Even if he is forced to return to Thailand, Saxena said he’s not worried about being tortured, even though that’s what his lawyer told the B.C. Court of Appeal.
“All that (is) rubbish! You know my kids have been living there (in Thailand) for 10 years,” he laughed.
Wikipedia provides a glimpse of his history here in Canada:
[…] The Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested Saxena in July 7, 1996 at Whistler, British Columbia, on behest of the Thai police. He was initially imprisoned in the Canadian jail. Saxena resisted extradition, claiming that he would be killed if he would return to Thailand.
In February 1998 Saxena was put on bail of $2.5 million because he was regarded as a flight risk. British Columbia Supreme Court overturned this ruling in June 24 1998 and allowed him to resist extradition living in his $500,000 house in Vancouver, under his own guards in an effective house arrest at his own expense.
September 4, 1998 Thailand asked authorities in 22 countries to freeze his assets, which, at the time, amounted to equal to $135-300 million. Thailand also filed a civil suit against him.
As of February 2006, he is still in Canada, handling his businesses from his condominium. One of the things he was involved in was financing Sandline International, when it was allegedly hired to help Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, ousted president of Sierra Leone, to return to power. Saxena financed the attempt in exchange of diamond exploration permits. The so-called Arms for Africa deal collapsed when the documents about the affair were leaked to The Globe and Mail.
In September 2005 the lower Canadian court ruled that Saxema should be extradited but the government of Canada did not enforce a ruling in 2003. Saxena further delayed his extradition with further appeals. In October 21, 2005 Canadian court postponed Saxena’s extradition once again until January 2006. Statute of limitations under Thailand law regarding his case may have already ended after 10 years of his fighting extradition.
On January 27, 2006 Rakesh Saxena lost his B.C. Court of Appeal bid to overturn the federal justice minister’s order that he be surrendered to Thai authorities, despite his contention that he could by killed or tossed in an inhumane prison cell in Thailand. Saxena’s lawyer is appealing the decision.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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