Extradition of accused Singapore robber stalled

Extradition of accused Singapore robber stalled

David James Roach, shown above in a police handout photo, is accused of robbing a Singapore bank of S$30,000.
David James Roach, shown above in a police handout photo, is accused of robbing a Singapore bank of S$30,000.

Singapore's effort to have a bank robbery suspect extradited from Thailand has hit a snag, as the Office of the Attorney-General has rejected the request, according to a Singapore media report.

"We denied it because we are not in the position to consider it," The Straits Times quoted Amnat Chotchai, director-general of the international affairs department at OAG, as saying. He did not elaborate on the reasons.

It now appears that David James Roach, 27, could be deported from Thailand to his native Canada instead. Singapore does not have a formal extradition treaty with either Canada or Thailand.

Roach, 27, is accused of robbing the Holland Village branch of Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore on July 7 after handing the teller a note that said he had a weapon. He allegedly got away with S$30,000 (770,000 baht).

Authorities say that he flew from Singapore to Bangkok on the day of the robbery, but was detained by Thai police three days later. They revoked his right to stay in the country, and he has been held at the immigration detention centre in Bangkok since then.

Singapore police told The Straits Times that they were still working with Thai authorities on the matter. It is not clear if there is an alternative to extradition that could result in the Canadian being sent to Singapore.

As an immigration offender in Thailand, he would be deported back to Canada if he cannot be extradited.

Pol Lt Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn, chief of the Immigration Bureau, said he was waiting for a final decision on the matter, but could not hold Roach for much longer. Police are required to deport immigration offenders as soon as it is reasonable to do so.

"The Canadian government wants us to deport him back to Canada," he told The Straits Times. "Immigration [police] can't detain him for a long time. It has been a month. We have to make a decision."

Mr Amnat said the OAG was still processing a request by Singapore police to examine the items found on Roach in Thailand.

When Roach was arrested at a hostel in Ratchathewi district of Bangkok, police said he had S$27,000 (700,000 baht) in cash, as well as a notebook containing a detailed escape plan that included stopovers in Chiang Mai and Dubai. Also in the notebook was the same message found on the note used in the robbery, they said.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (7)