Latest news with #rednotice
France 24
22-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Interpol lifts red notice for anti-whaling campaigner Paul Watson
Interpol had issued the notice against Watson, known for radical tactics including confrontations with whaling ships at sea, at the request of Japan, but has now decided the measure was "disproportionate", lawyer William Julie said. A spokesperson for Interpol confirmed to AFP that the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files (CCF) had deleted the red notice. Watson, a 74-year-old Canadian-American, was arrested and detained in Greenland in July, 2024 on a 2012 Japanese warrant, which accused him of causing damage to a whaling ship and injuring a whaler. He was released in December after Denmark refused the Japanese extradition request over the 2010 clash with whalers. On December 20, he returned to France, where his children attend school, following a high-profile campaign in his support. "The decision to delete Mr Watson's red notice was made by the CCF -- an independent body tasked to ensure that the processing of personal data by Interpol is in compliance with its constitution and rules," the Interpol spokesperson said. "This is not a judgement on the merits of the case, or the events that occurred in 2010, but a decision based on Interpol's rules on the processing of data," the spokesperson added. "The CCF decision was made in light of new facts, including the refusal by the Kingdom of Denmark to extradite Mr Watson. This is in line with normal procedures." In a statement, Julie said that the CCF considered that the red notice "did not meet Interpol's standards, citing the disproportionate nature of the charges, Mr. Watson's supposed only indirect involvement (which is contested), the considerable passage of time since the alleged facts, Denmark's refusal to extradite him, and the fact that several other countries declined to act on Japan's arrest or extradition requests." He also said that the Commission pointed to the existence of "political elements" around the case. "Regarding potential motivations, the CCF remarked that the disproportionate nature of the red notice 'tends to highlight the strategic character of the case and its symbolic importance beyond its intrinsic criminal characteristics or pure law-enforcement interest'. "The Commission suggested this may indicate the presence of political elements supporting the case –- a point it makes subtly but significantly," Jolie said in the statement. gd-mla-jh-as/bc © 2025 AFP
New York Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Former Interpol Official Detained for Role in ‘Big Carousel' of Corruption
A former senior official at Interpol, the international police organization, has been detained in the United Arab Emirates under an arrest alert issued by his former employer at the request of France. The former official, Vitalie Pirlog, is wanted in France and his home country of Moldova in connection with a sprawling investigation into a scheme that allowed wanted fugitives to get red notices — which are arrest alerts — lifted in return for payments to corrupt officials. A statement released on Wednesday by the U.A.E.'s ministry of interior said Mr. Pirlog had been apprehended on Sunday and 'now faces multiple charges, including forgery, bribery, facilitating bribery, and fraud.' Nicolae Posturusu, a lawyer for Mr. Pirlog in Chisinau, Moldova's capital, declined to comment on his client's detention. Samuel Health, the spokesman for Interpol in Lyon, France, also declined to comment, saying Mr. Pirlog's case was 'a matter for local authorities' in the U.A.E. From 2017 until 2022, Mr. Pirlog, who previously served as justice minister and intelligence service director in the former Soviet republic of Moldova, led a powerful and highly sensitive commission at Interpol's headquarters in Lyon responsible for reviewing red notices. After leaving the police organization, he relocated to Dubai and came under scrutiny from French and Moldovan investigators looking into how dozens of fugitives wanted for drug trafficking and other crimes had managed to void Interpol arrest alerts against them. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Washington Post
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Interpol issues red notice for Ghana's ex-finance minister over corruption claims
ACCRA, Ghana — Global police organization Interpol placed Ghana 's former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta on its red notice list on Friday for allegedly using public office for personal gain. The notice follows a request from the West African country's prosecutors who have declared Ofori-Atta a 'fugitive' after he failed to appear before an investigative panel this month citing medical reasons. The former minister's lawyers said they submitted medical records to the court showing he is receiving treatment abroad. His exact location remains unclear.
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Interpol issues red notice for Ghana's ex-finance minister over corruption claims
Global police organization Interpol placed Ghana 's former finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta on its red notice list on Friday for allegedly using public office for personal gain. The notice follows a request from the West African country's prosecutors who have declared Ofori-Atta a 'fugitive' after he failed to appear before an investigative panel this month citing medical reasons. The former minister's lawyers said they submitted medical records to the court showing he is receiving treatment abroad. His exact location remains unclear. Ofori-Atta's lawyer, Frank Davies, told The Associated Press that the declaration of his client as a 'fugitive' is 'very condescending" and 'an unfettered infringement of Ofori-Atta's rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.' Davies said the former minister had informed the authorities of his intention to travel outside the country for medical attention since February. An Interpol red notice — while not an arrest warrant — alerts law enforcement agencies to locate and detain Ofori-Atta pending extradition. Ofori-Atta, who served as finance minister from 2017 to 2024 for the New Patriotic Party, is accused of having been involved in several corruption cases, including the misuse of $58 million of public funds for a national cathedral project that never materialized. Last December, the NPP's candidate Mahamudu Bawumia lost the the presidential election to the National Democratic Congress nominee John Mahama. Since taking office in January, Mahama has launched an anti-corruption campaign aimed at recovering $20 billion in alleged stolen state funds. Critics, however, say the effort has spared allies of his administration. Ofori-Atta has not commented on the accusations, but has said in the past he was unlawfully treated by the prosecution. In March, he filed a lawsuit against the office of the special prosecutor, requesting the removal of 'damaging' content from the office's social media platforms.
