2016 StanChart bank robbery suspect extradited to Singapore
SINGAPORE — The suspect in the 2016 Standard Chartered Bank robbery has been successfully extradited to Singapore.
According to a joint media release by Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Attorney-General’s Chambers on Tuesday (17 March), Canadian national David James Roach arrived in Singapore on Tuesday morning to face charges of robbery and money laundering.
Roach was arrested in Thailand in July 2016, after he allegedly robbed the StanChart Bank branch in Holland Village of $30,000 on 7 July 2016.
On 11 January 2018, Roach was deported from Thailand after serving a jail term for the commission of criminal offences in Thailand, and arrived in London the same day. Singapore then sought the assistance of British authorities to arrest Roach, with a view to securing his extradition to Singapore.
Numerous attempts against extradition
The extradition follows a long and convoluted legal process.
In August 2018, the UK Magistrate, having decided that the requirements for Singapore’s extradition request under UK law had been met, sent the case to the UK Secretary of State to decide whether to extradite Roach on two charges of robbery and money laundering.
The UK Secretary of State ordered the extradition on 23 October 2018. On 31 October, Roach applied to the UK High Court for permission to appeal against the Magistrate’s decision to send the case to the UK Secretary of State. The UK High Court refused Roach’s application on 13 August 2019.
Roach renewed his application to the UK High Court for permission to appeal. On 31 October 2019, the UK High Court granted Roach permission, but limited this to his extradition on the money laundering charge. On 4 February this year, the UK High Court heard and dismissed Roach’s appeal.
On 17 February, Roach applied for an order to reopen extradition proceedings and also to stay extradition proceedings pending the determination of the application to reopen. The application was rejected by the UK High Court on 5 March.
Handed over to SPF custody on Monday
With the assistance of the Metropolitan Police Service, Roach was handed over to the SPF’s custody on Monday. He will be charged in court later on Tuesday. Both his offences carry a maximum jail term of 10 years.
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