Nygard to face extradition to US after Canadian case ends: Lametti

Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard is to be extradited to the United States to face sex-related charges, but only once his criminal case in Canada has been completed.

Federal Justice Minister David Lametti said he issued an order on Tuesday.

“It is important that our Canadian legal process is completed so that all parties, including victims, have the opportunity to see justice,” he said in a tweet.

Nygard, 80, was first arrested in Winnipeg in 2020 under the Extradition Act after being charged with nine sex-related counts in New York.

Authorities in the US claim that he used his position in the fashion industry to attract women and girls.

The extradition request from the United States presented allegations of seven complaints that are expected to be confirmed during his trial in that country.

The plaintiffs allege that they were forced to have sex with Nygard through financial means or physical force.

Nygard, who denied the accusation through his lawyer, had agreed to be extradited to the United States to file a sex trafficking charge.

The former head of a multimillion-dollar clothing company is also up against a class action lawsuit in the US involving 57 women with similar charges.

Last fall, Nygard was also charged in Toronto with six counts of sexual assault and three counts of coercive assault and alleged incidents, dating back to the late 1980s and mid-2000s. He also denied the allegations.

Earlier this year, a Toronto court rejected his offer to be released on bail. The evidence and reasons presented before the court are subject to a restraining order.

Nygard had previously been denied bail in extradition, meaning he would not be released even if he received bail in Toronto, according to the federal Department of Justice.