Decision on extradition for River Ryan man set for August

A River Ryan man will be back in court in London, England, Aug. 29 to find out if he will be extradited back to Singapore where he has been accused of robbing a bank.

An extradition hearing for David James Roach was held in Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London July 23 and July 24. Court officials said Roach was remanded pending the judgement.

Roach is accused of robbing a Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore on July 7, 2016. Two days later he was arrested in Thailand. In June 2017, Roach was sentenced to 14 months in jail for violating money laundering and customs laws by bringing money from a robbery into the country.

After serving his sentence, Thailand deported Roach to Canada on Jan. 11 but he was arrested in London during the layover on a request from Singapore authorities.

In an earlier statement from the Singapore government, the British government requested assurance that if Roach is found guilty of robbery, he will not be sentenced to caning, a widely used form of corporal punishment in Singapore.

In the statement, the Singapore government says they have agreed to the request from U.K. authorities. Extradition laws in the U.K. prohibit extradition in the absence of such an assurance.

Roach’s extradition is being sought on one count of robbery and one count of money laundering. In Singapore, both offences carry maximum jail terms of 10 years.