Source : the age
By James Massola
A former US fighter pilot and Australian citizen accused of training Chinese fighter pilots will be extradited to the United States to face charges of arms trafficking and money-laundering.
Daniel Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 at the request of the US after being accused of providing military training to Chinese pilots in South Africa between 2009 and 2012. His arrest came shortly after Australian authorities said they were investigating the practice of former military personnel being offered lucrative contracts to train pilots in China.
Daniel Duggan served with the US Marines for more than a decade. Credit: Image via 60 Minutes
In May, a Sydney court found that Duggan, 56, was eligible to be extradited to US, where he could face up to 60 years’ jail time if found guilty.
After more than two years in detention in Australia, much of it in solitary confinement, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus approved the extradition request on Friday.
“Mr Duggan was given the opportunity to provide representations as to why he should not be surrendered to the United States. In arriving at my decision, I took into consideration all material in front of me,” Dreyfus said.
“To ensure the safety of all persons involved and to uphold the integrity of the surrender process, as a matter of longstanding practice, the Australian government does not comment on operational matters relating to extradition, including the timing of and specific arrangements for a person’s surrender.”
Duggan has the option of appealing to the Federal Court against Dreyfus’ decision to approve the extradition. The father of six had made a last-ditch attempt to avoid prosecution in the US, sending an 89-page submission to Dreyfus outlining why the extradition should not go ahead.
Dan Duggan and his wife, Saffrine. Credit: Nine
Saffrine Duggan, the pilot’s wife, said in a statement that she and the couple’s six children had been left devastated by the Attorney-General’s decision.
“We are shocked and absolutely heartbroken by this callous and inhumane decision which has been delivered just before Christmas with no explanation or justification from the government,” Saffrine Duggan said.
“We feel abandoned by the Australian government and deeply disappointed that they have completely failed in their duty to protect an Australian family. We are now considering our options.”
“It is very difficult to explain to the children why this is happening to their father, especially now, at this time of year. We are all terrified that we may not see him for a very long time. My children are very, very sad.”
After serving for more than a decade in the US Marines, Duggan moved to Australia in 2005 and founded a flight school in Tasmania. He has been an Australian citizen for nearly 13 years but is due to be extradited by February next year.
In 2014, Duggan moved to China from Australia to work as an aviation consultant for the Test Flying Academy of South Africa.
Under laws passed in 2023, following Duggan’s arrest and reports that China was looking hire former ADF pilots to train its armed forces, former Australian defence personnel and public servants face up to 20 years’ jail time if they do unauthorised work for foreign governments.
Former defence staff will not need ministerial approval to work for Australia’s Five Eyes intelligence alliance partners – the United States, United Kingdom, Canada or New Zealand. This carve-out reflects the fact that officials believe it is riskier for former defence staff to work for nations such as China or Russia than nations with whom Australia has close security ties.
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