Jonathan Taylor: Monaco appeal over oil whistleblower case dismissed

Lawyer Jonathan Taylor spent a year stuck in Croatia fighting extradition to Monaco

A court has dismissed an appeal against the decision to clear an oil industry whistleblower who spent more than two years fighting extradition to Monaco.

Jonathan Taylor was arrested in Dubrovnik in July 2020 on an Interpol red licence, issued by Monaco, on bribery and corruption charges.

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

Mr Taylor said the latest ruling had "given me back control of my life".

Monaco hosts an SBM Offshore regional centre

In 2012, Mr Taylor provided evidence about bribes being offered in return for lucrative contracts at SBM Offshore, which has a regional centre in Monaco.

He spent a year stuck in Croatia after he was arrested on arrival with his family for a holiday in 2020.

The Monaco authorities were seeking to extradite him for questioning about claims he demanded money to keep quiet.

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

The extradition request was overturned in May 2021 by the Croatian justice minister and Mr Taylor was able to return home to Southampton.

But in October last year, the authorities in Monaco issued a summons demanding he appear before investigating judge Ludovic Leclerc at the Palais de Justice.

'This hell is over'

Mr Taylor, a lawyer, agreed to return for the questioning in a bid to bring "this nonsense to an end".

He said at the time: "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The complaint was subsequently withdrawn by the firm "years ago", he added.

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

Mr Leclerc dismissed the case against Mr Taylor in March this year, but Monaco's public prosecutor launched an appeal against the judge's ruling.

The decision by Monaco's Appeal Court to reject the appeal this month means "finally, this hell is over for me", Mr Taylor told the BBC.

He said: "While this welcome news will not bring me back my career or the year I lost under house arrest in Croatia, it does give me back control of my life."