A WELSH BUSINESSMAN THIS MORNING (FRI) BEGAN HIS L

A WELSH BUSINESSMAN THIS MORNING (FRI) BEGAN HIS LAST BATTLE

AGAINST EXTRADITION TO FACE KIDNAPPING CHARGES IN WEST GERMANY.

ALAN REES, 35, OF BEAUMARIS WAY, BLACKWOOD, GWENT, IS

ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN THE RINGLEADER OF A BOLIVIAN GANG WHICH

KIDNAPPED A LUFTHANSA AIRLINE BOSS IN THE CAPITAL, LA PAZ, IN

NOVEMBER, 1983.

REES IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN THE MYSTERIOUS ‘COMMANDER MARCUS’

WHO LED THE GANG WHICH SNATCHED WEST GERMAN MICHAEL WURCHE FROM

OUTSIDE HIS HOME IN THE CAPITAL.

WURCHE WAS HELD BLINDFOLDED AND IN FEAR OF HIS LIFE FOR

11 DAYS UNTIL THE WEST GERMAN GOVERNMENT PAID A #1 MILLION RANSOM

FOR HIS RELEASE.

THE BOW STREET EXTRADITION COURT HEARD THAT THE PROSECUTION’S

PRIMARY WITNESSES – INCLUDING THE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE GANG – HAVE ALL

RETRACTED THEIR EARLIER STATEMENTS CLAIMING THEY HAD BEEN TORTURED BY

THE BOLIVIAN SECRET POLICE.

THE WELSHMAN’S COUNSEL, MR CHRIS NICHOLLS, QC, SAID: ‘WE ARE

CONCERNED HERE WITH WHOLESALE RETRACTIONS.

‘IN 1984 THERE WERE HARD STATEMENTS AGAINST MR REES, BUT BY

1985 AND BEFORE THE COURT IN BOLIVIA THERE WAS A WATERING DOWN OF THE

STATEMENTS.

‘AT THE SAME TIME YOU GET STATEMENTS BEFORE THE COURT OF

PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE, TORTURE AND BEATINGS.

HE ADDED: ‘TO CONTINUE IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES IN DOMESTIC

PROCEEDINGS WOULD BE INCONCEIVABLE AND WITHOUT PRECEDENT.

‘

ALL THE STATEMENTS FROM THE FOUR KIDNAPPERS, INCLUDING REES’

BOLIVIAN-BORN WIFE, JEANETTE, HAD NOW BEEN TOTALLY RETRACTED, HE

CONTINUED.

THIS MORNING, AFTER LEGAL SUBMISSIONS, THE COURT HEARD

FURTHER EVIDENCE FROM GERMAN ANTI-TERRORIST SQUAD OFFICER HERR GERNST

MAGER.

SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER MAGER SAID HE AND OTHER

OFFICERS HAD CARRIED OUT SPOT CHECKS ON THE SERIAL NUMBERS OF NOTES

USED TO PAY HERR WURCHE’S #1 MILLION RANSOM.

NOTES FROM THE RANSOM WERE ALLEGEDLY FOUND IN REES’

POSSESSION, THE COURT HEARD.

CROSS-EXAMINING MAGER MR NICHOLLS CLAIMED THAT AS NOT ALL THE

NOTES HAD BEEN CHECKED AGAINST A COMPUTER LIST SUPPLIED BY THE GERMAN

FEDERAL BANK THERE WAS NO DIRECT CONNECTION TO REES.

THE CASE IS EXPECTED TO END THIS AFTERNOON WITH A DECISION ON

REES’ EXTRADITION.

ENDS/MFL

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