TONGO, QWABE...

August 8, 2012

When, in November 2010, the beautiful Anni Dewani was found murdered while on honeymoon in South Africa, everyone's heart went out to her husband Shrien Dewani. As the case began to unfold, however, Mr Dewani appeared to become increasingly involved in the killing. He was alleged to have paid a taxi driver, Zola Tongo, $2,100 to arrange the murder and make it look like a carjacking. Mr Tongo was sentenced to 18 years and now one of the two men accused of actually carrying out the murder, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, has pleaded guilty and has received a 25 year sentence. The trial of his alleged accomplice, Xolile Mngeni, may start on Monday.

Mr Dewani, a British citizen, denied any involvement in the murder of his Swedish wife and was allowed to leave South Africa for the United Kingdom. He was subsequently arrested, but in March, a British High Court ruled that owing to his distressed mental state it would be "unjust and oppressive" to extradite him to South Africa.

If the alleged crime involved annoying the American government, by hacking or leaking documents, for instance, Mr Dewani would have probably been given a rougher time. As it stands, the South African courts may have a long wait, despite the weight of all their evidence.

So what is the ugly truth about extradition in Britain? I will have to write about this next...