A court in Edinburgh yesterday denied a request by British national Zain Dean, convicted in Taiwan of killing a man while driving under the influence of alcohol, to be granted bail and deferred a bail bond hearing at the request of Dean’s attorney to next month.
The hearing is scheduled for Dec. 16, while the court asked the defendant and Scottish prosecutors to present new testimony before Dec. 12, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stationed in the UK, who attended the hearing yesterday to monitor developments.
The court also scheduled hearings on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 to rule on a request made by the Taiwanese government that Dean be extradited to Taiwan to face trial, the official added.
Because the UK has three levels of trial courts, the legal process to rule on the extradition request could be very lengthy, the official said, adding that Scottish prosecutors said experience has shown that it can take as long as two or three years to reach a final verdict in an extradition case.
Dean, chief executive of UK-based NCL Media’s Taiwan branch before fleeing Taiwan last year after his conviction, was arrested by Scottish police on Oct. 17 and was detained following a ruling by an Edinburgh court.
Dean fled Taiwan in August last year, shortly before he was due to begin serving a four-year prison term for the killing of a newspaper delivery man in downtown Taipei in 2010 while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Taiwanese prosecutors issued a warrant for Dean’s arrest in January.
Following his high-profile escape, in which Dean used a friend’s passport and makeup to disguise himself, the Ministry of Justice contacted British authorities through diplomatic channels to ask for assistance after the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office learned of his whereabouts.
Several rounds of negotiations eventually led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding last month specifically covering Dean’s extradition. It was signed by Chen Wen-chi (陳文琪), director of the Ministry of Justice’s Department of International and Cross-Strait Legal Affairs and British Home Office Director Tyson Hepple.
Commenting on the Edinburgh court’s latest ruling, Deputy Minister of Justice Chen Ming-tang (陳明堂) yesterday said he was gratified by the judges’ decision.
“I hope the judges will take into consideration the pain and suffering of the victim’s family, as well as Dean’s criminal act, and rule in favor of the extradition request,” Chen said.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old