Canadian loses bid to stop extradition

A Canadian national wanted by the United States for murder has lost his appeal to prevent his extradition to the US.

Matthew Alexander McGowan stands accused of fatally shooting another person in September 2017 in Florida. He was arrested in Thailand in November 2018 and has since been detained.

US authorities sought his extradition soon after his arrest, but Mr McGowan refused to be extradited, insisting he was not the person listed in the extradition request.

On June 13, 2019, the Criminal Court ordered his extradition to the US, but Mr McGowan once again appealed the extradition order.

The court’s ruling was finally read out at the Criminal Court yesterday.

According to the court, accounts given by Miami police, prosecutors handling the case in Florida, as well as an image of the suspect captured by CCTV camera point to Mr McGowan’s involvement in the murder.

A former diplomat testified before the court as a witness to swear the defendant was in fact the same person as the individual listed on the arrest warrant issued in the US court.

Immigration police also told the court that background checks confirmed the defendant was indeed the person wanted by the US on a murder charge. As a result, the Appeal Court upheld the lower court’s extradition order for Mr McGowan.

After hearing the verdict, Mr McGowan asked the court via an interpreter whether he could appeal the ruling again, but his request was turned down by the court, saying it was final. He was later taken back to prison to await extradition to the US.