Fugitive Cheng Chui-ping, known as 'Big Sister Ping', appeared in court yesterday to fight her extradition to the US on human-trafficking charges.
Cheng, 52, is seeking a judicial review of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's decision to extradite her. The US is also named as a respondent in the proceedings.
Cheng, who allegedly smuggled an estimated 3,000 Fujianese to the United States, was arrested at Chek Lap Kok in April last year on suspicion of being the mastermind behind an international human-smuggling racket. The FBI launched a worldwide hunt after her alleged involvement in the Golden Venture human-smuggling tragedy, in which 10 mainlanders died at sea off New York in 1993.
Yesterday, counsel for Cheng, Andrew Bruce, SC, told Mr Justice Michael Hartmann in the Court of First Instance that the Chief Executive had failed to take into account that American authorities were time-barred from prosecuting her.
US criminal proceedings have to be instituted within five years of an alleged offence.
He also argued that the Chief Executive's failure to disclose reasons for his granting the extradition was even more serious because human rights issues were involved.
