Man extradited to Hungary on fraud charges fears fate (From Bournemouth Echo)

Man extradited to Hungary on fraud charges fears fate

9:00am Tuesday 3rd November 2009 in

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A CORFE CASTLE man is facing up to three years in a Hungarian jail after being extradited to Budapest on fraud charges.

Michael Turner, whose family run the popular Castle Inn pub, was met at the departure desk at Gatwick Airport at 4.30pm yesterday by officers from the Serious Organised Crime Agency, then handed over to elite special forces from Budapest.

His business partner and co-defendant Jason McGoldrick was also escorted on to the flight.

The pair were set to be charged upon touchdown and could face immediate imprisonment in a tough Hungarian prison until a trial date is set.

This treaty was supposed to be used for serious crime and terrorism

Mark Turner

Just hours before the handover, Michael – who vigorously denies all charges – told the Daily Echo: “I’m expecting to go over there and start spending time in a cell – I’m scared, to be honest with you.”

His dad, Mark, blasted: “My father, and his father before him, fought in two world wars to make sure this kind of thing couldn’t happen today.

“So when the secret police come here, knocking to take my son to eastern Europe to stand accused of charges of a ridiculous nature, how am I going to explain to my grandchildren that I allowed this to happen?

“Our politicians have just quietly given away the independence our forefathers fought for.”

Michael and Jason are accused by the Hungarian authorities of defrauding more than 100 people, but Michael says it was simply a case of a business venture going wrong.

The pair ran a marketing company, Dream Espania Kft, which operated out of Budapest in the early years of this decade.

The company was launched to bring western marketing methods to emerging Hungarian businesses, but it folded in 2004, owing creditors £20,000.

Five years later, after Hungary became a member of the European Union and the UK agreed to a European extradition treaty, the pair found themselves facing Hungarian justice.

Mark said: “This extradition treaty was supposed to be used for serious crime and terrorism. All we have here is a business that failed.

“Anywhere else it would be a commercial matter – the Hungarian authorities are using this treaty as a debt collection tool.”