A ruling on a constitutional challenge in the extradition case of German-Canadian arms dealer Karlheinz Schreiber on Monday was postponed until next month.

Schreiber has been fighting extradition to Germany where he faces corruption, bribery, breach of trust and fiscal charges relating to his work for German defense contractors and aerospace firms.

Ontario judge David Watt said he will decide on April 18 on the challenge concerning the reliability of evidence. Schreiber's lawyer Edward Greenspan claims Canada's Extradition Act is unconstitutional because it holds evidence presented in defense of an extradition "fugitive" up to a higher standard than the evidence made by an extradition requesting state.

Once this and other preliminary motions are rendered, the judge is to decide whether to set a date to begin hearing the extradition proceedings against Schreiber, who was arrested here in 1999.

With acknowledgements to Sapa and AFP.

Further interesting reading :
Extradition Trial for German-Canadian Arms Dealer Schreiber Begins
2002-06-19
Sapa