Danish Court Rejects OW Executive's Extradition to Italy

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday January 16, 2015

Copenhagen City Court Thursday rejected an application from Italy to extradite the former OW Supply & Trading executive, Lars Bohn, Danish media reports.

Bohn is understood to be wanted under a European arrest warrant issued in Italy for his alleged involvement in a fraud case involving fictitious sales of bunkers to the Italian Navy.

The court is said to have given as its reason for rejecting the application that conditions in Italian prisons can be "inhuman and degrading," based on two previous British judgments.

As such, the court ruled that extradition would contravene the European Convention on Human Rights and the Danish Fraud Squad is set to announce it will not comply with the European arrest warrant.

Bohn has protested his innocence since allegations were made last month of his involvement in a "ghost ship" scam that is said to have involved Italian organised crime figures and resulted in $9 million worth of fraudulent bunker sales to the Italian Navy.

"It is complete nonsense," he said.

"I'm pretty frustrated and sad, for I am quite undeservedly been dragged into this."

Bohn is still on remand in Denmark, but the deadline for his release is said to expire on january 28.

In December Bohn was arrested over the matter, but was not named at the time.

Ship & Bunker News Team
To contact the editor responsible for this story email us at editor@shipandbunker.com