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Yemen 'will hand over prime suspect in Martine's murder'
Last updated at 02:37am on 21.03.08
Strangled: Student Martine Vik Magnussen enjoying herself on holiday
The move comes after it emerged Farouk Abdulhak was smuggled out of the country on a private jet. He left Britain a day before police discovered the 23-year-old's body in the basement of his Great Portland Street flat.
The 21-year-old student and friend of Miss Magnussen fled London on Saturday, apparently flying to Athens before travelling to his native Yemen.
Dr Abu Bakr al-Qurbi, Yemen's foreign minister, said: "It is with regret that we have read about the incident in the newspapers.
"We are prepared to co-operate with British authorities, but for the time being we are awaiting more information about the subject matter."
Met detectives want to question Abdulhak, whose whereabouts are unknown, as a "matter of urgency" after he left a nightclub with Miss Magnussen on Friday.
His father, Arab billionaire Shaher Abdulhak, told the Daily Mail yesterday he would not comment on his son's whereabouts - but said he had hired the London-based international extradition experts Peters & Peters for the case.
Abdulhak's uncle said the family was "very concerned about the state of their son and are awaiting further information to make it clear that they would not associate themselves with any member of their family connected with any wrongdoing."
Farouk disappeared after landing in Yemen aboard at 5.30am on Sunday.
He had been seen leaving the exclusive Maddox club in Mayfair with 23-year-old Miss Magnussen at 3am on Friday and getting into a taxi with her.
Her partially-clothed body was later found under a pile of rubble in the basement of Abdulhak's apartment block in Great Portland Street at 10am on Sunday.
Today police released pictures of Miss Magnussen's clothing and other personal items which were missing from her body.
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Replicas of the shoes, bag and watch taken from Martine's body
Some possessions were found in Farouk's rented flat in Great Portland Street.
But certain items, including her snakeskin shoes and Marc Jacobs handbag, are still missing. Detectives believe the killer might have removed the items after the murder.
Detective Chief Inspector Jessica Wadsworth said: "We are urgently seeking information about clothing and personal effects belonging to Martine. These are the shoes, a pair of jeans, a Guess watch, earrings and a ring she was wearing on the night as well as her Marc Jacobs handbag.
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Ms Magnussen's family described her as a 'ray of sunshine'
Martine and her friend Nina Brantzeg, who launched an appeal for her on Facebook
"All of these items were not recovered from the premises in Great Portland Street."
Miss Magnussen, described as "pure sunshine" by her heartbroken family yesterday, was found dumped among rubble and rubbish in the basement of Abdulhak's London home on Sunday.
Police said Farouk had grown up in London and studied business with Miss Magnussen at London's Regent's College, a £10,000-a-year private university.
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Martine, pictured with a friend, had been studying business at Regent's College in London
Abdulhak founded Shaher Trading in Yemen in 1963 and the empire now encompasses petroleum, soft drinks, hotels and real estate across the Middle East and Africa.
Mr Abdulhak said he had consulted with Michael O'Kane, a lawyer who has worked on high-profile cases including the hijacking of a plane at Stansted in 2000 and is currently representing two British oil company executives fighting extradition to the U.S.
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Murdered: Martine Magnussen was found dead after partying at a celebrity nightspot
Initial post-mortem examination results appear to show that Miss Magnussen had been strangled, with a pathologist's report revealing "significant injuries to her neck".
Her father Odd Petter Magnussen and mother Vik Ronnaug are divorced but came to London to identify their daughter. In a statement, her father said: "Martine's exceptionally warm and charismatic personality struck anybody she met.
"She always left an impression of a tolerant, sympathetic and loveable person, considered as pure sunshine in any social context."
Luxury block: Martine's body was found at Seaford Court in London' Great Portland Street
Reader views (8)
Her family is rich enough to have him taken care of...why go to trial?
- Nancy, UK
Calm down people. This is most sad and horrific, but we need to calm down and not let this be a source of ethnic strife or international relationts block. The posters James and Paul must not have read the entire article. The Yemen Govt is cooperating and although they don't have extradition treaty with us they are going to send him back. I believe them because I happen to have known people of that background all my life in Birmingham and one thing they don't do is stand by murders. And the reaction of this billionaire family seems very characteristic, and typical of people of that background, they sooner die then be associated with or have family ruin their rep by being murders. Thank you.
- Nikki, Birmingham, UK
This is an absolute disgrace and such a tragic end to someone so young . It makes me scared to go out in London and having only just arrived here, it doesn't give me much hope.
- Emer, London
No chance he will ever face justice in the UK unless a snatch squad from Hereford brings him back here.
- James, New Malden, Surrey
Just tell the SAS to go and get him. No one should be able to get away with this. In the meantime, close the Yemeni Embassy, close off all diplomatic relations and cut off any aid we give them until the guy is sent back. Same goes for any other nation that won't play ball.
- Paul, London
It is enormous how incompetent the so-called UK "HOME" Office is!
- Georgie, Islington, London
I was just reading this story and wondered should we allow people into the country where no extradition treaty exists. Food for thought.
- Andand@Kent, Tun Wells
All l can say is a beautiful life robbed of a wonderful future. She was a gracious young lady from her photos. My heart goes out to her family. I honestly believe that the police and Scotland yard will have a problem because even with the help of the billionaire father he will not come back to Britain. That's why he left straight away after the murder thank you.
- Linda Borell, Arnhem Netherlands
