Court to rule on lawfulness of Stamenov arrest

The Wynberg Magistrates Court is expected to rule on a submission made by Bulgarian fugitive Stanislav Stamenov's lawyer suggesting his arrest was unlawful.

In 2009, a Romanian court sentenced Stamenov to 16 years behind bars for his role in a drug trafficking syndicate.

He was arrested in Cape Town last Friday after an Interpol red notice was issued for his arrest.

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He made his first court appearance on Monday, where his lawyer, William Booth, said that Romanian authorities failed to follow proper diplomatic channels.

Booth maintains that an extradition request should have been formally submitted to South Africa’s justice minister to secure a valid arrest warrant.

Booth argued that an Interpol red notice does not amount to such a warrant.

However, the prosecution said South African police were within their rights to arrest Stamenov, confirming that an official extradition request has now been received from Romania.

Stamenov has been living in Cape Town for the past 16 years, working as a personal trainer.

Booth also argued that his client was not hiding in South Africa, claiming that Romanian authorities knew where he was for at least seven years but made no action to arrest him.

The magistrate is expected to make her ruling on these submissions on Wednesday.