Wanted international criminal mastermind turns up in Lodamun

[Aquinas]

December 3754

El-Mofty hides behind Lodamun's "no extradition" policy


Wadud Mostafa El-Mofty

Kafuri-born Wadud Mostafa El-Mofty, one of Terra's most wanted men, has been spotted just outside Little Valruzia City in Lodamun, where he is living under the false name of Hashim Zahir Boulos in a 200 million LOD mansion with three swimming pools, two tennis courts, a 12 acre camel racing course and his 3 wives, 2 concubines and 18 children. El-Mofty is wanted in both Zardugal and Alduria for his involvement in the 3741 Oil Fraud Scandal, and also in Beiteynu, Rutania, Selucia, Tukarali, Kanjor, Baltusia, Al'Badara, Vorona and Vanuku, in all of which he has been convicted in absentia on charges of money laundering.

As Hashim Zahir Boulos, El-Mofty applied for and received Lodamese citizenship 3 years ago. Technically, as a Lodamese citizen, he is protected from being extradited. However, the Justice Minister, under heavy international pressure, may try to convince the courts that El-Mofty's citizenship is invalid because he obtained it under a false name and under false pretences about his background.

Anton Rietveld of the Conservative Monarchist Alliance has commented:

This case highlights the need for international co-operation in the fight against crime. The extraordinary nature of this case may mean, in my opinion, that some form of international court may need to be established in order to try and convict El-Mofty.

El-Mofty, under his assumed name of Hashim Zahir Boulos, has issued a statement saying "Lodamun is a wonderful, beautiful, fantastic country", praised President Gordon Fertig as "the most enlightened leader in the whole of Terra by far" and said he hopes "to live the rest of my days in this great land, which I freely worship with all my heart and soul". He added that "this minor, trivial misunderstanding" about his citizenship application was "something I am sure we can work through".

[Aquinas]

August 3755

El-Mofty "victim of Hosian capitalist conspiracy to destroy Lodamun"

Wadud Mostafa El-Mofty has given a colourful newspaper interview to the Rapula Record in which he denies the charges being levied against him and claims to be "the innocent victim of a massive Hosian capitalist conspiracy to destroy Lodamun". "They want to ban Lodamese Nationalism, force us to worship the Hosian god, abolish the republic and subject us to monarchical rule", he continued, adding that Conservative Monarchist Alliance (CMA) chairman Anton Rietveld is "a member of the Army Council of the Hosian Liberation Front" and that the CMA's social affairs spokesman Ignatz Linden "personally directed the recent bombing of the army barracks in Andalay". Asked how he knew these things, he claimed that "as a patriotic Lodamese citizen, I have been running a private investigation into the affairs of the CMA for some time" and "want to hand over my findings to the authorities in due course". He suggested the attempts to prosecute him are "a deliberate ploy to stop the truth being revealed about the true nature of the CMA and its links with international Hosian and capitalist forces which are hostile to Lodamun".

[M13]

Lodamun agrees on Mofty's extradition
December 3755

Port Golavia, Lodamun- It seems that the Presidium of the Great Democratic Republic of Lodamun has accepted the proposal of extraditing the wanted criminal El-Mofty. Under the current legislation, Lodamun does not extradite citizens to another nation, but President Fertig (GNRG) declared for the assembled Presidium that El-Mofty was 'not and never has been a Lodamese citizen', therefore that law does not apply for him. It was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Grant (SLP) that could persuade Justice Minister Murphy-Spaak (LNC) to accept an offer made by Baltusia to trial the accused on Baltusian soil. At the moment 3 out of 4 parties of the Coalition have supported the arrangement, which will most certainly result in an acceptance by the Lodamese political scene.
Minister Little John Murphy-Spaak declared that eventhough he wanted to organize the trial himself, he believes that Baltusian officials will perform well trialing the accused. He also declared that the extradition shows the commitment of Lodamese politicians in obtaining and restoring good diplomatic contacts with the other countries in Terra. Finally, he said this case was one of the purest examples of how the former reformist government messed up within Lodamese borders.
Minister Firmin Cafmeyer (Internal Affairs) declared that El-Mofty currently was grounded in his mansion. All of his property on Lodamese soil will be seized and goes directly to the rightful owner: the Lodamese citizens. It is uncertain if Lodamun will make any further claims in this case.
Minister Grant (Foreign Affairs) probably will take care of the extradition procedure.