Guilty of murder – so why has UK still not kicked him out?
Albanian convicted in 2001 continues to f ight his extradition
A CONVICTED killer from Albania is still living in Scotland – despite being ordered out of the country three years ago.
Fatjon Kapri went on the run after being sentenced to 22 years for murder in 2001. He was featured on Interpol’s most wanted list before being traced to Glasgow in 2010, where he was living under a false identity.
He was arrested and, after an extradition hearing, was told he must return to Albania in 2011.
Yet despite his taxpayer-funded appeals being rejected at every turn, Kapri has still not been forcibly removed from the country.
Last night, critics said the case highlighted the failure of the immigration system to kick out foreign criminals.
David Coburn, UKIP’s MEP for Scotland, said: ‘It’s a nonsense that someone who has been found guilty of murder and was on the run can stay in Scotland. Why is it taking so
‘This has dragged on for far too long’
long and wasting so much money? The country will go bust if it continues to fund case after case like this.’
Kapri, 34, stabbed fellow Albanian, Ylli Pepa, in London in 2001, after both men became involved in a fight.
Albanian law allows for nationals to be prosecuted for crimes committed abroad and he was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
The day after the murder he fled to Glasgow, living under the false Macedonian name Sadiku Saymire – also known as ‘Simon’. He was arrested in June 2010 when he was found working in one of the city’s Blue Lagoon fish and chip shops.
After various hearings and postponements, a full extradition hearing took place at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in December 2010 and, in March 2011, Kapri was served with an extradition order.
The convicted murderer then launched a fight against his extradition, which is still ongoing.
His lawyers argued that corruption was a persistent problem in Albania’s legal system and that a potential violation of his rights to a fair trial under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights should prevent him being sent back.
His first appeal was rejected in June 2012, but in July 2013 the UK Supreme Court ruled that Kapri’s claims must be taken seriously and ordered the Court of Appeal to reconsider the case.
This also meant that Kapri – who had been in custody for three years – was bailed to an address in Glasgow’s Milton area.
But in April this year, appeal judges in Scotland dismissed any claims that a retrial would be unfair and opened the way for his return to Albania.
He now has until July 23 to lodge another application for special leave to appeal to the Supreme Court directly.
Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: ‘This case has dragged on for far too long and it’s law-abiding Brits picking up the significant bill.’