The founder of British software giant Autonomy can be extradited to face criminal charges in America, a judge ruled yesterday.
Mike Lynch, called “Britain’s Bill Gates,” is accused of manipulating financial records at his former company before selling it to Hewlett-Packard for £8 billion in 2011.
The 56-year-old denies the allegations and has sought to block a request to extradite him to face trial in the US.
However, the case was heard in Westminster magistrates’ court, and District Judge Michael Snow ruled against him.
Lynch’s alleged guilt or innocence was not considered in the judge’s decision, but rather whether he could be sent across the Atlantic legally under the controversial UK-US extradition agreement.
It means the decision to extradite Lynch now falls to Home Secretary Priti Patel. If she agrees, he would have 14 days to appeal.
Mr Snow rejected the tycoon’s lawyers’ request to wait for the outcome of a separate High Court trial on the fraud claims, which is set to begin in September.
Lawyers for the US government argued Lynch, pictured, ‘aimed dishonest activities at the USA on a monumental scale’ and should not be ‘immune from the American justice system’.
Lynch’s lawyers stated that the allegations came from a British company listed on the London Stock Exchange and that the case should be resolved in the Uk.
Chris Morvillo, for Lynch, said: ‘If the Home Secretary nonetheless decides to order extradition, Dr Lynch intends to appeal.’
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