Fugitive millionaire gets consular help

THE Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to a fugitive millionaire who is fighting extradition from Thailand to face trial in the US for allegedly arranging the contract killing of his wife.

Boston-born businessman, Jim Sullivan (61), is claiming that his Irish citizenship should prevent his extradition back to the US as he could face the death penalty if found guilty of charges related to the murder of his estranged wife, Lita, 16 years ago.

The Irish Ambassador to Malaysia and the honorary consul in the Thai capital of Bangkok have been providing consular assistance to Sullivan since they became aware of the case, it was confirmed yesterday.

Lawyers for Sullivan, who has been held in a Thai prison since his arrest last July, claims his “fundamental rights as an Irish citizen” will be denied if he is extradited back to the US.

Although Sullivan obtained an Irish passport in 1994 by virtue of his parentage and holds dual Irish and US citizenship, the US authorities have no proof that he has ever visited Ireland.

Lita Sullivan (35), a well-known socialite in the state of Georgia, was shot dead in her home in Atlanta in January 1987 by a gunman posing as a flower deliveryman. US police believe her husband organised the contract killing because he feared losing his $5m mansion in Palm Beach in a divorce.

A decade later, Sullivan fled his home in the US for Costa Rica before moving to Thailand just before he faced indictment for his wife’s death.

For the past four years, he has been living with his Thai girlfriend, whom he met in the US, at a holiday resort about 100 miles south of Bangkok.

Detectives in Georgia believe Sullivan paid $25,000 to a contract killer to murder his wife. The trial of the alleged gunman, Tony Harwood, is due to begin next month.

Sullivan is due to appear before a court in Bangkok tomorrow when he will challenge attempts by lawyers from the US to seek his extradition to Georgia.

His legal team are expected to oppose any extradition attempts on the grounds that Ireland, like other EU states, has outlawed capital punishment. They will also argue that, as an Irish citizen, Sullivan should not be sent for trial in a country that operates the death penalty.

However US prosecutors believe the Thai courts will rule in their favour.

“I see no real conflict regarding capital punishment, because Thailand has the death penalty,” said district attorney spokesperson, Anna Green.