Renowned British technology magnate and founder of software company Autonomy Mike Lynch has been extradited to the US, marking a decisive turning point in a legal battle spanning several years.
Known colloquially as the UK's Bill Gates, Mr Lynch is now set to face a series of criminal charges, including fraud, a claim he fervently denies.
The development follows Mr Lynch's unsuccessful appeal last month, ending a nearly four-year court struggle against extradition.
“On April 21, the High Court refused Dr Lynch's permission to appeal his extradition. As a result, the normal 28-day statutory deadline for surrender to the US applies,” a representative from the Home Office confirmed.
“Dr Lynch was extradited to the US on May 11.”
Mr Lynch's extradition traces back to Hewlett Packard's victory in a six-year civil fraud case against him last year, when the High Court ruled that he had manipulated Autonomy's accounts to inflate its valuation before a takeover.
The implications of this ruling were far-reaching, prompting then home secretary Priti Patel to approve the extradition of Mr Lynch, who is also the founding investor of cybersecurity behemoth Darktrace.
This controversy is not new to Autonomy. The firm's former chief financial officer, Sushovan Hussain, was sentenced to five years in prison and fined millions of dollars in 2019 after being convicted of fraud and other related offences.
Conservative MP David Davis expressed concern about the decision, attributing Mr Lynch's extradition to a “dreadful” extradition treaty.
Mr Davis told BBC Radio 4's World At One that the treaty, which followed the 9/11 attacks, was initially designed to apply to terrorists, murderers and paedophiles.
But the majority of people extradited to the US from the UK under this treaty had been charged with “non-violent, mostly white-collar crimes”, he said.
The extradition, Mr Davis warned, could have a “hideously chilling effect” on future London Stock Exchange sales.
“If you were a young software writer or bio-chemist with a new drug or new treatment, and you built a company out of it, the last place now you are going to launch your company is on the London Stock Exchange,” Mr Davis said.
The High Court in London rejected Mr Lynch's appeal last month, marking the latest chapter in a legal saga that began with HP's $11 billion acquisition of Autonomy in 2011.
The deal, one of Britain's largest technology transactions, led to 17 US charges against Mr Lynch, who maintains his innocence.
Legal expert Samantha Walker said of the High Court's decision: “It is a significant blow to Lynch and his legal team, signalling the UK's willingness to co-operate with US authorities in high-profile cases like this.”
As Mr Lynch prepares for the next stage of his case, experts continue to analyse the implications of this decision for other high-profile people facing similar legal battles.
'Dark Waters'
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper
Rating: ****
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LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Denis%20Villeneuve%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Timothee%20Chamalet%2C%20Zendaya%2C%20Austin%20Butler%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
