Fugitive tycoon Asil Nadir flew back to the UK today after nearly two decades on the run.
The businessman left his home in northern Cyprus ahead of the resumption of fraud hearings in London relating to the collapse of his Polly Peck empire.
He touched down at Luton airport at 1.29pm to be met by immigration officials who were on hand to process his documents.
A grey Jaguar, with a police escort, was waiting for him.
His lawyers are expected to hand his newly-issued British passport to Serious Fraud Office investigators later.
Before his flight, he said he felt it was time for closure after 20 years of injustice.
Mr Nadir is on £250,000 bail ahead of the September 3rd hearing at the Old Bailey. He is due to be fitted with an electronic tag as part of the court-imposed conditions and will be expected to live at a nominated address in London and report weekly to a local police station.
Mr Nadir (69) is facing 66 counts of theft involving £34 million fraud allegations in May 1993 when he fled Britain for northern Cyprus, which has no extradition treaty with the UK.
The Conservative Party donor, who presided over the collapse of Polly Peck, appeared in court the previous year but had not technically surrendered to his bail, so a subsequent arrest warrant, issued on the basis that he had breached his bail, was not valid.
Earlier this year, Mr Nadir’s legal team indicated he was willing to return to face trial, as long as he was granted bail.
The Serious Fraud Office agreed not to oppose bail in return for stringent conditions. Mr Nadir told the London Times he felt “determined” ahead of the resumption of his courtroom battle.
“I am very happy that what I have been striving for for many years is finally coming to fruition - to be able to go to England without any unnecessary threat of arrest and to be given the chance to put my case,” he said.
“I have been a citizen of the United Kingdom for more than 30 years without a blemish on my character and I am entitled to a fair hearing. The one thing I can completely rely on is the total conviction of my belief in my innocence - that is what gives me strength.”
Reminded of the risk he was taking, Mr Nadir said those who are innocent need not worry.
He told Sky News: “Innocent people in an objective court don’t have worries about this thing.
“It’s the last thing on my mind, I can assure you, because my innocence is sufficient security for me as long as we have an objective and unbiased venue to defend myself in a just way.”
PA