Legal Amendment Allows Daniel Meli To Challenge US Extradition Despite Initial Consent
A legal amendment recently passed in Parliament with bipartisan support will allow Maltese national Daniel Joe Meli, wanted in the US for cybercrime charges, to challenge his extradition despite initially consenting to it.
The amendment, as reported by MaltaToday, offers individuals like Meli, who had previously agreed to extradition, a second chance to withdraw consent and challenge the request through Malta’s Court of Criminal Appeal.
Meli was arrested in February 2024 following an extradition request by the US, where he faces allegations of selling and training criminals in the use of Warzone, a powerful remote access trojan (RAT) that enables users to infiltrate others’ computers undetected.
However, Meli’s family claims that he was initially advised by his lawyer that accepting the extradition would limit his prison time to a maximum of five years.
They later discovered he could face up to 45 years in a US prison.
In August, Meli’s parents publicly appealed for intervention, expressing regret for following the initial legal advice that led their son to consent.
Speaking to Lovin Malta, Daniel’s mother Lucienne had explained that if her son was sent to the US, he would not get out.
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Under the new law, individuals who previously agreed to extradition have 15 days to apply for a review, during which all extradition deadlines are paused.
If the appeal court grants their request, the case returns to the original court as if it were being considered for the first time, restarting all timelines and procedures.
The amendment also mandates that individuals facing extradition are fully informed of the implications of consenting and given adequate time to consider their decision.
This measure aims to ensure consent is voluntary and informed, addressing concerns raised by Meli’s family regarding his mental health and alleged misunderstanding of the consequences.
Meli’s legal troubles began after he allegedly sold malware to an FBI covert agent.
His alleged partner, Prince Onyeoziri Odinakachi from Nigeria, was also arrested on related charges and sentenced to seven years by Nigerian authorities, who declined to extradite him.
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