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Abu Qatada extradition battle has cost taxpayers £1.7m, says Theresa May Abu Qatada extradition battle has cost taxpayers £1.7m, says Theresa May
(35 minutes later)
The Home Office's long legal duel with the radical cleric Abu Qatada has cost taxpayers £1,716,306, Theresa May has told MPs.The Home Office's long legal duel with the radical cleric Abu Qatada has cost taxpayers £1,716,306, Theresa May has told MPs.
The figure includes £647,658 in legal aid for the terror suspect and more than £1m in government costs, the home secretary disclosed in a letter to the all-party Commons home affairs committee.The figure includes £647,658 in legal aid for the terror suspect and more than £1m in government costs, the home secretary disclosed in a letter to the all-party Commons home affairs committee.
But the overall bill would have been nearer £2m if more than £200,000 had not been used from Abu Qatada's frozen assets, according to officials. The bill, run up since 2005, was revealed as the formalities were being finalised for a legal treaty with Jordan which would allow Abu Qatada's deportation. Ministers are hoping this can be ratified at Westminster by next Friday and the cleric put on a plane as soon as possible afterwards. But the overall bill would have been nearer £2m if more than £200,000 had not been used from Abu Qatada's frozen assets, according to officials.
Home secretaries have been trying for years to deport Abu Qatada to Jordan, where he was convicted in his absence in 1999 of terror charges related to bomb attacks. The committee chairman Keith Vaz said: "I am shocked that Abu Qatada's legal costs alone could have employed 90 new constables for a year." The bill, run up since 2005, was revealed as the formalities were being finalised for a legal treaty with Jordan which would allow Abu Qatada's deportation.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The government remains committed to securing Abu Qatada's deportation as quickly as possible. Ministers are hoping this can be ratified at Westminster by next Friday and the cleric put on a plane as soon as possible afterwards.
"More than £200,000 of Abu Qatada's frozen assets has been used to pay for his legal proceedings over the past eight years." Home secretaries have been trying for years to deport Abu Qatada to Jordan, where he was convicted in his absence in 1999 of terror charges related to bomb attacks. The committee chairman, Keith Vaz, said: "I am shocked that Abu Qatada's legal costs alone could have employed 90 new constables for a year."
The cleric told May last month that he was willing to return voluntarily to Jordan once the "fair trial" treaty had been put in place. She has yet to decide whether a fresh deportation order will be needed once the treaty takes effect to put the cleric on a plane. A Home Office spokesperson said: "The government remains committed to securing Abu Qatada's deportation as quickly as possible. More than £200,000 of Abu Qatada's frozen assets has been used to pay for his legal proceedings over the past eight years."
Abu Qatada, currently in high-security Belmarsh prison, has been repeatedly detained in Britain. British judges say the cleric, who was a key figure in al-Qaida-linked activities in the UK, remains a threat to national security. The cleric told May last month he was willing to return voluntarily to Jordan once the "fair trial" treaty had been put in place. She has yet to decide whether a fresh deportation order will be needed once the treaty takes effect in order to put the cleric on a plane.
Abu Qatada, currently in Belmarsh high-security prison, has been repeatedly detained in Britain. British judges say the cleric, who was a key figure in al-Qaida-linked activities in the UK, remains a threat to national security.
The European court of human rights and senior British judges have both ruled that it would amount to a "flagrant denial of justice'' if Abu Qatada were returned to Jordan without assurances that he would not face a trial based on evidence obtained by torture.The European court of human rights and senior British judges have both ruled that it would amount to a "flagrant denial of justice'' if Abu Qatada were returned to Jordan without assurances that he would not face a trial based on evidence obtained by torture.
Abu Qatada is in prison after breaching a bail condition which restricts use of mobile phones and other communication devices.Abu Qatada is in prison after breaching a bail condition which restricts use of mobile phones and other communication devices.
The Special Immigration Appeals Commission has previously heard that a USB stick understood to belong to Abu Qatada's oldest son contained "jihadist files" made by the "media wing of al-Qaida". The Special Immigration Appeals Commission previously heard that a USB stick understood to belong to Abu Qatada's eldest son contained "jihadist files" made by the "media wing of al-Qaida".
Abu Qatada is also being investigated by Scotland Yard over suspected extremist material found during the search of his home. Abu Qatada is also being investigated by Scotland Yard over suspected extremist material found during a search of his home.
The Metropolitan police passed on the material to Danish authorities to reportedly investigate a connection with a controversial Islamic publisher. The Metropolitan police passed on the material to Danish authorities who were said to be investigating a connection with a controversial Islamic publisher.
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