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Canada to Extradited Former Soldier to Face Murder Charges in Thailand

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Canada to Extradited Former Soldier to Face Murder Charges in Thailand

A former Canadian soldier is accused of murdering Jimi Singh Sandhu in Phuket, Thailand has been committed for extradition by a judge in Alberta, Canada.

Matthew Dupre was committed for extradition on Friday after Justice Denise Kiss of the Court of King’s Bench ruled that the Canadian government had successfully made the case to extradite him to Thailand for trial in the death of Jimi Singh Sandhu.

Jimi Sandhu, a member of the United Nations gang, was assassinated on the Thai island of Phuket on February 4, 2022, in what Thai authorities believe was a drug-related hit by Dupre and another Canadian man.

Dupre’s lawyers argued against extradition on the grounds that if convicted of Sandhu’s murder, he could face the death penalty. However, Kiss stated that judges in extradition hearings should not be concerned with potential punishment, describing extradition committal hearings as a “modest screening device.”

“It’s worth noting that if he’s convicted, the only possible sentence is death by lethal injection,” Kiss said. “I’m simply not allowed to consider this at this stage of the extradition proceedings.”

Matthew Dupre

Dupre previously served in the Canadian Armed Forces and in Afghanistan before joining a private security firm that was deployed in high-risk areas such as Iraq. On February 20, he was arrested at his home in Sylvan Lake and remains in custody.

Sandhu was deported to India in 2016 for “serious criminality” and had amassed large sums of money and illegal drugs at the Phuket villa where he was gunned down, according to Thai police.

Thai authorities believe Dupre and another man, Gene Karl Lahrkamp, went to Thailand to assassinate Sandhu. They claim to have evidence linking the two to the shooting, such as immigration records, hotel clerk testimony, car rental records, and CCTV footage from the time of the shooting.

A Thai police official submitted a sworn statement as part of the extradition proceedings, claiming to have matched a distinctive tattoo on Dupre’s right arm to surveillance footage and witness testimony.

Dupre’s lawyer, James Lockyer, urged Kiss not to commit his client for extradition because she had not seen the alleged CCTV footage obtained by Thai police.

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However, Justice Kiss stated that extradition judges are bound by treaty and are only allowed to conduct a “limited weighing” of the evidence against the accused.

She stated that her role is to determine whether there is a case against Dupre at first glance and whether he is the person sought for extradition on a balance of probabilities.

Justice Kiss also stated that she will not be bogged down by issues such as how Thai courts handle evidence.
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“It is not for this country to believe that it alone knows how to reach a fair verdict,” she said.

Dupre, who is being held at the Red Deer Remand Centre, shifted uneasily around the video conferencing room as Kiss read her verdict, taking deep breaths and turning his gaze to the green cell’s ceiling.

Dupre’s fate is now in the hands of federal Justice Minister David Lametti, who has the final say on whether Canadian citizens should be handed over to other countries.

Canadian officials typically obtain assurances from jurisdictions that have the death penalty that citizens surrendered for extradition will not be executed.

Lahrkamp, an ex-military member, died in a plane crash in Ontario earlier this year, along with a member of the Independent Soldiers gang.

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