Taipei prosecutors on Tuesday made an extradition request to the Canadian government for two Taiwanese wanted as suspects in a financial fraud case — prominent cosmetic doctor Paul Huang (黃博健), 38, and his wife, Internet celebrity Su Chen Tuan (蘇陳端), 44, better known as Lady Nai Nai (貴婦奈奈).
Prosecutors issued an international notification for the couple, as well as Huang’s father, Huang Li-hsiung (黃立雄), saying that they have fled the nation and are wanted fugitives in a criminal case, in which their wanted status lasts for 25 years.
Judicial officials made the extradition request after receiving reports that the three were briefly detained by airport officials after arriving at a Canadian airport, although the date was not specified.
Photo screen grab from Facebook
However, the trio presented their Canadian permanent residency documents and Canada Border Services Agency officers did not have sufficient reason to hold them, as they did not have any criminal record there, according to the reports.
The couple have been accused of defrauding clients and friends of about NT$1 billion (US$32.47 million), some of whom had invested in Ab Initio Medicina, an upscale cosmetic surgery clinic in Taipei and two other businesses operated by the couple.
Local Chinese-language media reported of alleged negligence by judiciary officials amid a rumor that officials took bribes to shield the suspects, saying that authorities as early as last month knew that the trio had on Nov. 30 fled Taiwan with the stolen money in their bank account, but did not issue injunctions against them or cancel their travel documents due to red tape.
It could be difficult to have the suspects extradited, as Taiwan does not have an agreement with Canada for mutual cooperation regarding judicial and criminal prosecution cases, prosecutors said.
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