A Marshallese business couple have been extradited to the United States, where they are wanted on charges of bribing a foreign lawmaker and money laundering.
The departure of Cary Yan and Gina Zhou, citizens of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, under escort to the US was announced by Jumpol Phansamrit, director-general of the Office of the Attorney-General’s International Affairs Department, OAG deputy spokesman Prayuth Phetkhun and public prosecutor Kullachai Thonglongya.
They are accused of colluding in bribery and money laundering and were handed over to representatives of the US and a US Marshall at Suvarnhabumi airport at 9.30pm on Sept 1.
Their extradition was requested by US authorities. They are accused of paying bribes to a state official in a foreign country and money laundering.
The pair allegedly bribed a lawmaker of a country in the Pacific Ocean to support the enactment of laws that would benefit their businesses. Warrants for their arrest were issued in the US. They had already fled from the US to Thailand.
Thai police arrested the suspects on Nov 16, 2020 and they were handed over to public prosecutors. The extradition case was forwarded to court. On June 30 this year, the Criminal Court ordered the extradition of the pair to the US.