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G Chandrashekhar in Washington
Federal prosecutors will move extradition proceedings on Monday in a Texas court against Pakistan's former naval chief, Admiral Mansur-ul-Haq, arrested by the United States on a request by the Pakistani government on corruption charges.
Admiral Haq was arrested on Wednesday night in Austin on charges of taking $3.3 million as bribe from French defence contractors while in service in Pakistan, the Austin-based daily American Statesman reported.
Haq, who has lived in a posh neighbourhood in Austin for several years, was Pakistan's chief of naval staff from 1994 to 1997 when Benazir Bhutto was prime minister.
He is accused by the military regime of accepting kickbacks while arranging the purchase of missiles and submarines from several French companies and is charged in Pakistan with corruption, embezzlement and fraud.
If convicted, he faces up to 14 years in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested the Pakistani naval officer following a request by the government in Islamabad.
The FBI hastened his arrest following a communication from the Pakistani embassy in Washington to the US state department that the retired admiral was planning to flee the US to avoid extradition to Pakistan.
Haq, 63, who retired amid allegations of corruption, had later settled down in the posh West Austin neighbourhood along with his wife and children.
The paper said it was not clear whether Haq would challenge the extradition proceedings. His lawyer could not be reached immediately.
Haq was the first military officer to face corruption charges following the 1999 army takeover of Pakistan in a bloodless coup. Since then, several men who served under Haq have been convicted of taking bribes.
Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau, the country's anti-corruption agency, filed warrants for Haq's arrest, though he escaped the dragnet by fleeing to the United States. Pakistani officials also charge Haq with taking $200,000 as bribe to approve a housing project for naval personnel.
UNI
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