Fugitive to appeal Cape Verde extradition ruling

A Cape Verde court has approved the extradition to the US of a businessman suspected of money-laundering on behalf of the Venezuelan Government. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, Alex Saab – who is a Colombian national – was arrested in June when his private jet stopped to refuel on its way to Iran. US authorities believe Saab holds information about how the Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, his family and top aides allegedly siphoned off millions of dollars from government contracts. João do Rosário, an attorney on Saab’s legal team, told Voice of America that they would appeal the Supreme Court ruling within the next week. ‘We will necessarily have to appeal this decision,’ Rosário said, adding that it was ‘not properly grounded’. He said the legal team was also considering an appeal to the country’s Constitutional Court.