Belizean Lawyer Fights U.S. Extradition, Says the Evidence Is Illegal

Belizean lawyer Andrew Avelline Bennett could be sent to the United States to face serious criminal charges. The United States issued an arrest warrant for Bennett from the District of Puerto Rico in July 2015 on a seven-count indictment for money laundering.

However, he claims that some of the evidence against him, including private WhatsApp messages, was obtained illegally and violates his constitutional rights.

During today’s almost three-hour hearing before the Caribbean Court of Justice, Bennett requested a permanent stay to block his transfer to U.S. authorities. He was represented by King’s Counsel Edward Fitzgerald and Attorney Hector Guerra.

“The principal submission that I will direct my arguments to is that in any event, the unregulated and unauthorised receipt and extraction of those WhatsApp messages, in what’s called participant surveillance, was unconstitutional,” said King’s Counsel Fitzgerald. “Stripped off, any reliance on section three, we say it’s nonetheless unconstitutional.”

He added, “He didn’t know that he was dealing with an undercover agent. He didn’t know the undercover agent was intending to extract the WhatsApp messages to use in prosecution, and that violated his legitimate expectation of privacy in sending those WhatsApp messages.”

Attorney Samantha Matute represented the respondents.

The CCJ has reserved its decision to a later date.

Tune in tonight at 6 pm on News 5 Live for more details.