Oliver Karafa extradition case delayed again

Monday hearing postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic

The court said the situation only affects Karafa’s case and no other courthouse operations

Just hours after issuing a notice that Oliver Karafa’s extradition case was to resume in Hungary on Monday, the Budapest Metropolitan Court says it’s once again being postponed — this time due to COVID-19.

“Due to a situation that has occurred regarding the COVID-19 pandemic just now, the Monday court hearing was postponed,” the court said in a message to the Spectator Friday morning (around 3 p.m. Budapest time).

The court said the situation only affects Karafa’s case and no other courthouse operations.

It’s unclear what this means, including whether someone connected to the case has tested positive for the virus.

This comes after his hearing was twice delayed as the court sought more information about what would happen to him in Canada, where he and his girlfriend, Yun (Lucy) Lu Li, face charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder in a Feb. 28 shooting in Stoney Creek.

Tyler Pratt, a 39-year-old entrepreneur from British Columbia, was killed and his 26year-old girlfriend was shot but survived. She was pregnant and the shooting led to the loss of the pregnancy.

Karafa and Li fled to Prague, Czech Republic, after the shooting and for more than three-months they were international fugitives. The pair was arrested in June in Budapest.

Li quickly waived extradition and was flown back to Canada in the custody of Hamilton police. Karafa, who was born in Slovakia, has been fighting extradition.

During a hearing in September, Karafa’s lawyers questioned his safety in jail in Canada, including presenting news articles about concerns at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre. They also wanted assurances on his right to a fair trial in Hamilton and said they were waiting for information from a private investigator.

At that hearing, Karafa told the court over video that it was a matter of life and death.

The deadly shooting allegedly happened when the four met for a business meeting at the back of a secluded Arvin Avenue business. Pratt had been in the process of moving to the Greater Toronto Area and was looking to establish business in the area.

According to past statements from the Budapest court, Karafa was the alleged shooter.