Dubai court orders extradition of British citizen to Denmark in USD 1.7 billion tax fraud case

A court in Dubai on Thursday ruled that a 52-year-old British citizen accused of masterminding a USD 1.7 billion tax scheme be extradited to Denmark. Dubai Public Prosecution submitted to the Court of Appeal all papers and documents submitted by the Danish authorities against Sanjay Shah, which showed his involvement in fraud and money laundering, it said.

A court in Dubai on Thursday ruled that a 52-year-old British citizen accused of masterminding a USD 1.7 billion tax scheme be extradited to Denmark. Sanjay Shah, a hedge fund trader, is accused of orchestrating a scheme that ran from 2012 to 2015, in which foreign businesses pretended to own shares in Danish companies and claimed tax refunds for which they were not eligible. The ruling followed the hearing of an appeal by Chancellor Essam Issa Al Humaidan, Attorney General of Dubai, to the Dubai Court of Cassation against a previous ruling of the Dubai Court of Appeal rejecting a request for Shah's extradition, according to a statement released here on Thursday. The Court of Cassation decided to return the case to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration by a different judicial body. This court ruled to extradite Shah to the Danish authorities. "Dubai Public Prosecution submitted to the Court of Appeal all papers and documents submitted by the Danish authorities against Sanjay Shah, which showed his involvement in fraud and money laundering," it said. Dubai Police arrested Shah earlier this year following an extradition request from the Danish authorities.

Ali Al Zarouni, Shah's lawyer, said his client will appeal against the extradition ruling made by Dubai Court of Appeal. In September, judges in Dubai presiding over a civil lawsuit filed by the Danish government ruled that Shah must repay USD 1.25 billion to the Danish state.

The arrest and ruling align with Dubai's commitment to combat illegal financial activities, including money laundering, it said. The UAE supports global efforts to counter money laundering and fraud, seeking to implement international standards and policies fully, it added.

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