Swiss extradite former Aeromexico board chief

(AP) -- Gerardo de Prevoisin, a former Mexican airline executive wanted in a $61 million fraud case, was flown to Mexico Friday after losing his appeal against extradition, the Swiss justice ministry said.

(AP) — Gerardo de Prevoisin, a former Mexican airline executive wanted in a $61 million fraud case, was flown to Mexico Friday after losing his appeal against extradition, the Swiss justice ministry said.

De Prevoisin boarded a flight from Zurich Friday morning, accompanied by three Mexican police officers, a statement said.

He was arrested at a hotel near Zurich in August 1998, following a Mexican arrest warrant charging administrative fraud against the country’s largest airline, Aerovias de Mexico, or Aeromexico.

Earlier this month, Switzerland’s highest court ruled that although there is no formal extradition treaty between Switzerland and Mexico, de Prevoisin could be extradited because he was charged with offenses which also were punishable under Swiss law.

The Mexican government claims that as president of Aeromexico’s board, de Prevoisin obtained personal loans using the airline as backing. It said the loans were not repaid and the airline was held liable.

The Swiss court rejected de Prevoisin’s claim that the charges against him were predominantly politically motivated.

He also contested extradition on the grounds of Mexico’s human rights situation, but the court said his was a high profile case and authorities would have a substantial interest in taking care of him.

In a U.S. court case, de Prevoisin acknowledged that he withdrew 8 million from the airline but said he donated it to the governing Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, with the approval of Aeromexico’s board of directors.

Mexico’s ruling party denied it had received funds from Aeromexico, but acknowledged receiving money from de Prevoisin. It said he raised the claim as part of a “strategy” to beat the fraud charges.