Extradition ordered

Press, 1 June 1985, Page 13

Extradition ordered

NZPA-AAP Sydney The New South Wales Court of Appeal has ordered the extradition of a New Zealander who failed to appear for trial in Auckland in March last year on a drug charge. It was the third unsuccessful challenge to his extradition by Geoffrey Wayne Bates, aged 28, of Glenfield, Auckland. Bates was one of 14 people arrested in 1983 by New Zealand police investi-

gating a heroin ring. Thirteen have been sentenced to jail terms totalling more than 60 years. . The Court of Appeal’ was told that Bates failed to answer bail on March 26 last year when his trial was to begin on a charge of possessing heroin for supply. On April 23 this year he was arrested in Sydney on a warrant signed by a judge of the New .Zealand High Court. A Sydney magistrate, Mr Kevin Webb, overruled ob-

jections by Bates and ordered his extradition in the custody of Detective Wayne McDonald, of the Auckland Drug Squad. In the Supreme Court on May 20 Mr Justice Slattery rejected an appeal against the Magistrate’s order and Bates took his case to the Court of Appeal. The three appeal judges— Mr Justice Kirby, Mr Justice Samuels, and Mr Justice McHugh—unanimously confirmed the extradition order.