Kuala Lumpur: A Malaysian High Court will announce its judgement on December 12 on the extradition of Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi to India to stand trial in the Bofors gun deal case.

Justice Augustine Paul of the Kuala Lumpur High Court said he would give the verdict after arguments were concluded on December 11on an Indian appeal against the lower court judgement rejecting the plea for the businessman's extradition.

"If the judgement is in favour of my client, he will be free to leave," said Quattrocchi's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah. "We then will immediately request the Interpol to lift the red corner alert notice against him," the lawyer said.

Deputy public prosecutor Kamarulhisham Kamaruddin, who represented India's case said, "If the ruling is not in our favour we will examine the possibilities to challenge the order."

"It all depends on the decision of attorney-general of Malaysia," however, "as per the Extradition Act, this is the last stage of extradition proceedings and the ruling by this court is final and conclusive," he added.

Quattrocchi, who has been residing in Malaysia since early 1990s has always maintained that the case against him was politically motivated because of his friendship with the family of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

India has urged Malaysia, with whom it has no extradition treaty, to undertake extradition proceedings against the businessman on its behalf two years ago.

On December 2, a sessions court rejected the plea for extradition and returned Quattrocchi's bail and passport.

PTI