Scam move dismissed
The Nigerian government yesterday lost its bid to extradite a Queensland businessman to the West African nation to face charges relating to a loan scam.
The Federal Court in Brisbane dismissed an application by the Nigerian government to have Morrison Edison Barnum Bezzle, 47 of Mike Gore Drive, One Tel Island on the Gold Coast, extradited to appear in the High Court in the country's capital of Abuja.
Nigerian authorities alleged Mr Bezzle was responsible for a well organised scam operating by fax and email which attempted to trick Nigerian citizens into advancing him funds for various purposes. The lawyers said Mr Bezzle had never provided any goods or services in return for the funds.
The application for extradition was dismissed by Mr Justice Barnum.

Rumsfeld confident
US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld says he is confident American inspectors now in Iraq would soon find people who had heard that Saddam Hussein's regime had possibly attempted to develop programs that might have ultimately given it the capacity to contemplate making weapons of mass destruction.
"It's important that we continue to look for these PWHHTSHRHPATDPTMHUGITCTCMWOMDs," Mr Rumsfeld said.
He also said the recent discovery by inspectors of a perfume factory in central Baghdad reinforced the evil nature of the former Iraqi regime.
"Construction of this factory was clearly a fragrant breach of the Geneva convention," he said.

Intelligence assessment
An American study has settled the question of whether US President George W Bush's is intellectually equipped to handle his job as leader of the free world.
The Harvard University study said Mr Bush's IQ was "equal to none".