Calgarian Allistair Chapman will remain behind bars pending a hearing to determine if he will be extradited to the United States to face allegations linking him to the murder of an FBI informant, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Calgary Court of King's Justice Colin Feasby found that there were no significant material changes in Chapman's circumstances that would allow him to overturn an earlier decision detaining Chapman.
One of those changes, defence lawyers argued, was that the authority to proceed with the extradition application by the federal attorney general listed only one charge, instead of the eight Chapman was being sought on by the U.S.
But Feasby noted Justice Paul Jeffrey detained Chapman despite finding drug-related allegations listed in a statement of facts put before him were weak. The remaining charge, conspiracy to commit murder, is a serious one, Feasby noted.
"The ATP's specification of only conspiracy to commit murder is not a material change in circumstances for several reasons," Feasby said. "Justice Jeffrey considered the drug-related charges in the statement of facts to be weak. The remaining conspiracy to commit murder charge is very serious, carrying with it the possibility of a life sentence."
Feasby also rejected the suggestion that one of Chapman's co-conspirators being released on bail subsequent to Jeffrey's ruling was a material change in circumstance. The judge said the decision to grant Ahmad Nabil Zitoun his release would not have significantly impacted Jeffrey's ruling as other co-conspirators had also been granted bail.
"Justice Jeffrey considered the release of two arguably more culpable co-conspirators and decided nevertheless that Mr. Chapman must remain in custody."
Chapman is accused of participating in a major drug cartel allegedly headed by Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding. He is alleged to have made communications that furthered a scheme to kill Jonathan Acebedo-Garcia, who was fatally shot more than a year ago in a Medellin, Colombia restaurant.
A date for his extradition hearing has not been set.
