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<\/p>\nThe founder of UK tech firm Autonomy has said he will fight extradition to the United States on fraud charges after a London court granted the move.<\/p>\n
Dr Mike Lynch, who sold the software company to Hewlett Packard (HP) for $11bn in 2011, is wanted to face trial in the US on allegations he artificially inflated Autonomy’s value before the sale, resulting in “colossal” losses for HP.<\/p>\n
The billionaire businessman has consistently denied the claims.<\/p>\n
His legal team told a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court that the decision on his extradition should wait until judgment in a separate civil case, brought by HP against him and Autonomy’s former finance chief Sushovan Hussain.<\/p>\n
A draft version is expected in September.<\/p>\n
But District Judge Michael Snow told Dr Lynch: “I have rejected your various challenges under the Extradition Act.<\/p>\n
“I am required to send the case to the secretary of state on whether you should be extradited to the US.”<\/p>\n
The ruling means that the Home Secretary Priti Patel has a final say on whether to allow the move.<\/p>\n
If she approves the decision, Dr Lynch has 14 days to launch an appeal.<\/p>\n
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His lawyer Chris Morvillo said of the ruling: “Dr Lynch is disappointed that the court has ruled against him without waiting for the High Court’s judgment in the civil case that examined all these issues.<\/p>\n
“Dr Lynch denies the charges against him. At the request of the US Department of Justice (DoJ), the court has ruled that a British citizen who ran a British company listed on the London Stock Exchange should be extradited to America over allegations about his conduct in the UK.<\/p>\n
“We say this case belongs in the UK. If the Home Secretary nonetheless decides to order extradition, Dr Lynch intends to appeal.”<\/p>\n
At an earlier hearing, the DoJ said of its extradition request: “(Lynch) may be a UK citizen, he may have long UK links, but once he aimed his dishonest activities at the USA on such a monumental scale, he cannot expect – just as any other English CEO could not expect – to be immune from the American justice system.”<\/p>\n