The Irish daily adds that Tobin was supposed to have declared if he was ready to accept Hungary’s offer but, citing family circumstances, he asked for an extension of that deadline to November 8. In addition, he requested further assurances that conditions in the Hungarian jail would be satisfactory and he can contact his family while in Hungary.

In 2000 Tobin was driving at a speed of between 75 and 80 km per hour in the inner part of Leányfaul, Pest county when he lost control of his car, ran onto a footpath and knocked down Bence Zoltai (5) and his younger sister, Petra Zoltai (1.5).

He left Hungary in late 2000 after his work contract expired. He could leave on bail, which was available in Hungary at the time.

Two years later a Hungarian court sentenced him to three years in jail. After Hungary joined the European Union, it issued a European Arrest Warrant against him and asked for his extradition. The Irish Supreme Court threw out the extradition request twice, the second time last year without recourse to an appeal.

Minister Navracsics has mentioned the Tobin case when attending a hearing before the Hungarian parliament’s committee of European Union affairs. He told the committee he had written a letter to the European Commission asking if Hungary was correctly interpreting the treaty that enables Hungary to initiate infringement proceedings against Ireland beyond December 1, 2014, if that country fails to approximate its legal system to European Union law by that time.

Navracsics told the committee that Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, has encourage him to approach his Irish counterpart over the case. Navracsics has done so but the Irish side has rejected any solution prior to the expiry of the deadline of December 2014.

Source: Magyar Nemzet

Translated by Budapest Telegraph

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