A recent case in Nepal provides an example of how Red Notices should be requested, and why they are sometimes denied. A Red Notice may only be released once INTERPOL’s rules are satisfied. Countries must provide sufficient information before INTERPOL’s General Secretariat will approve and circulate a Red Notice.
Nepal’s former prime minister Sher Bahadur, along with his wife, former foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba, have been under investigation in an alleged money laundering scheme, and local authorities requested Red Notices for each of them.
In this case, Nepali officials were denied a notice against Mr. and Mrs. Deuba, reportedly because the offense remains proven and the money laundering probe appears to have been initiated in a single step. The General Secretariat did not find that the legal threshold for a Red Notice had been met, and sought details on the specific charges and the current stage of the investigation.
The couple reportedly has warrants out for their arrest and have been placed on a fugitive list. Since the denied request, there have been alleged reports of the Dueba couple staying in Hong Kong. Without access to INTERPOL’s tools, though, Nepali authorities are left to search for the couple independently. They can rectify their failed request if they gather the specific charges and the current stage of the investigation INTERPOL requested, and resubmit the request for review.
Our next post will further delve into how a country may engage in extradition without a Red Notice.
As always, thoughts and comments are welcomed.