Jeleel Ahmed, the first person to be extradited from the UAE to Britain, appeared in court in Birmingham yesterday for the first hearing in his trial for murder. Mr Ahmed, 27, a British national who was living in Dubai before he was extradited last month, is accused of being part of a gang of hooded men who killed Shanwaz Ali, 23, outside his home in Birmingham in January 2006. Mr Ahmed was remanded into custody yesterday and was expected to enter a plea at his next hearing on November 19, a court official said.
Mr Ali, a British national of Pakistani origin, was repeatedly stabbed after getting out of his car outside his home in the early hours of the morning. His father, a prominent activist for the UK's Labour Party, found him slumped in a pool of blood and rushed him to a hospital, where he died. Mr Ahmed was arrested and questioned during the initial investigation but was released because of a lack of evidence.He left Britain shortly after and was working in a "steady job" in Dubai and living under his real name, according to the British detective inspector who dealt with the extradition.
In 2007 two other suspects, Mohammed Shakil and Muddassir Zaman, were sentenced to life in prison by a British court for the murder of Mr Ali. The motive of the attack remains unclear, but police believe Mr Ali may have been involved in a dispute with Zaman over compensation for a car accident. The UAE and Britain ratified a formal extradition agreement last year. It stipulates that a wanted person may be extradited to either country if the offence is punishable in both countries by at least a year in jail.However, Britain declines to extradite those who may face the death penalty unless assurances are given that it will not be imposed.
lmorris@thenational.ae