Former US Marines pilot accused of illegally coaching Chinese military to be extradited | EUROtoday

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An Australian pilot accused of illegally coaching Chinese fighter pilots is ready to be extradited to the US in early 2025 after the Australian authorities accepted his give up.

Daniel Duggan, 56, has been in a maximum-security jail for over two years, combating the extradition. He faces costs associated to coaching Chinese fighter pilots in South Africa between 2009 and 2012, together with conducting carrier-arrested landings, in violation of arms trafficking legal guidelines.

He was arrested in Australia in October 2022. His arrest adopted an investigation by Australian authorities into the observe of former navy personnel being provided profitable contracts to coach pilots in China.

Mr Duggan, who maintains his innocence, may resist 60 years in jail if convicted.

His household expressed their devastation on the resolution, together with his spouse, Saffrine Duggan, saying: “We are shocked and absolutely heartbroken by this callous and inhumane decision which has been delivered just before Christmas with no explanation or justification from the government.”

Mr Duggan’s household is contemplating their authorized choices, together with requesting particular causes for the federal government’s resolution. “We feel abandoned by the Australian government and deeply disappointed that they have completely failed in their duty to protect an Australian family,” she mentioned.

“It is very difficult to explain to the children why this is happening to their father, especially now, at this time of year. We are all terrified that we may not see him for a very long time. My children are very, very sad.”

Attorney common Mark Dreyfus, on Monday confirmed he had accepted Mr Duggan’s extradition to the US.

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“Acknowledging the public interest in this matter, I confirm that on 19 December 2024 I determined under section 22 of the Extradition Act 1988 (Cth) that Daniel Duggan should be extradited to the United States to face prosecution for the offences of which he is accused,” Mr Dreyfus mentioned in a press release.

“Mr Duggan was given the opportunity to provide representations as to why he should not be surrendered to the US. In arriving at my decision, I took into consideration all material in front of me,” he mentioned.

“To ensure the safety of all persons involved and to uphold the integrity of the surrender process, as a matter of longstanding practice, the Australian government does not comment on operational matters relating to extradition, including the timing of, and specific arrangements for, a person’s surrender.”

Earlier, the daddy of six had made a remaining effort to keep away from prosecution within the US, submitting an 89-page doc to Mr Dreyfus detailing the explanation why the extradition mustn’t proceed.

Mr Duggan, a former US Marine who served for over a decade, moved to Australia in 2005 and based a flight faculty in Tasmania. He has been an Australian citizen for practically 13 years however is now set to be extradited by February subsequent yr.

In 2014, Mr Duggan moved to China to work as an aviation advisor for the Test Flying Academy of South Africa.