Jonathan Taylor: Oil whistleblower summoned to Monaco

Lawyer Jonathan Taylor is now back at home in Southampton after the extradition ruling was overturned by the Croatian justice minister in May

An oil industry whistleblower, who returned to the UK from Croatia after a year-long fight against extradition to Monaco, has said he has been summoned before a judge in the principality.

Jonathan Taylor returned home in July after the Croatian justice minister overturned a decision to extradite him.

He was arrested a year earlier on an Interpol red licence issued by Monaco, on bribery and corruption charges.

He had exposed bribery at his old employer, Dutch oil firm SBM Offshore.

The firm previously said it had not influenced the extradition request.

However, despite the extradition request being overturned in May, the authorities in Monaco have issued a summons demanding Mr Taylor appear before investigating judge Ludovic Leclerc, at the Palais de Justice, in Monaco, on 11 October "for examination".

"His presence is compulsory", states the letter, seen by the BBC, which was written in French and sent to Mr Taylor's French lawyer.

Monaco hosts an SBM Offshore regional centre

Mr Taylor, who does not speak French, told the BBC he is "desperate to put Monaco's unrelenting persecution behind me" and "get on with my life, free in the knowledge that I am able to travel without harassment".

He said: "It is now seven years since my former employer, SBM Offshore, reported me to the Monaco prosecutor for alleged attempted extortion."

The complaint was subsequently withdrawn by the firm "years ago", he added.

To bring "this nonsense to an end", Mr Taylor said he had agreed to attend Monaco for questioning "on the strict understanding that Mr Leclerc has made oral assurances to my French lawyer, William Bourdon, that I will be free to leave Monaco upon the questioning finishing the same day".

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In 2012, Mr Taylor, a lawyer from Southampton, provided evidence about bribes being offered in return for lucrative contracts at the company.

He was arrested in Dubrovnik on 30 July last year, when he arrived for a family holiday, after the authorities in Monaco sought to extradite him for questioning about claims he demanded money to keep quiet.

Mr Taylor, who has not been charged with any offence, has always denied the claims.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Bourdon said: "The complaint against him is a pure vendetta and we're confident the charges will be dropped."

The BBC has contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Mr Leclerc's office for comment.