‘CN Live! talks to Saffrine Duggan, wife of the
Australian pilot Dan Duggan, who will appear in the Federal Court of Australia
this week in relation to an extradition request from the United States, which
he is hoping to have overturned. His alleged offence centres around advanced
flying lessons he gave at a South African flight academy in 2012 to foreign
nationals, some of whom were Chinese. Dan used to be a US citizen and he was a
pilot in the army until 2002. The secret Grand Jury indictment against him states
that he didn’t obtain a licence from the US State Department to deliver the
training. It also accuses him of being involved in the purchase of the school’s
plane before he was hired, to give what amounted to 18 hours of lessons. The
problem with the indictment is that Duggan ceased being a US citizen on
Australia Day 2012, January 26th, which predates the flight lessons. Also, what
he did was not a crime in Australia. Other Australians who delivered the same
type of training have not been charged with anything. Duggan’s defence team
will argue that the US has no sovereign control over him and that there is an
absence of dual criminality. The problem with the process is that it is
somewhat endless. Dan was arrested and placed in solitary confinement as a high
risk prisoner three years ago. He not only has a wife but six children, who
have had very little contact with him, contrary to Articles 3 and 9 of the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child. Dr Paul Anthony Bauert a practising
paediatrician with over 40 years’ experience, and lifetime Fellow of the Royal
Australasian College of Physicians has said he has ‘very serious concerns for
Dan Duggan’s children’s physical and mental health. Each of the six children is
exhibiting unmistakeable signs of stress and severe anxiety and is vulnerable
to compounding ill-health.’ The stress and trauma suffered by the children,
including recurring nightmares, is also detailed in commentary by Mr Duggan’s
wife Saffrine in submissions direct to the Attorney. The Duggan family has
suffered enormously, both emotionally and financially and we invite Saffrine to
share their story.’
What has happened to Dan Duggan is a sycophancy to
the US.
John/Togs Tognolini
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