Imre Arakas ordered extradited over murder charges

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The High Court ordered Imre Arakas’s extradition to Lithuania to face charges over the shooting of Deimantas Bugavicius. The proceedings were reported on 7 November 2022.

Mr Justice Paul Burns dismissed Arakas’s objections. The order was to take effect after 15 days if he did not seek to challenge it further in court. Arakas was remanded in custody pending extradition or further proceedings.

Arakas is wanted on charges including murder, firearms and conspiracy-related offences concerning the November 2015 shooting. Lithuanian authorities alleged that he was part of a three-man group that conspired to murder Bugavicius.

At an earlier High Court hearing on 10 October 2022, Mr Justice Burns said Arakas was no longer thought to have been the actual shooter. The report said an eyewitness had said Arakas was not present at the scene. Arakas told gardaí he was in Spain on the relevant dates.

Arakas had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to murder James ‘Mago’ Gately in Northern Ireland between 3 and 4 April 2017. The Special Criminal Court sentenced him to six years in December 2018, and he had completed that sentence. Mr Justice Tony Hunt passed sentence.