Montemayor to get US hearing

A judge in Houston, Texas, has confessed to being baffled by a Mexican oilman's request for his own extradition hearing - but granted it to him within two weeks.

Rogelio Montemayor, former head of Mexican oil monopoly Pemex, handed himself in at the city's federal courthouse even though there was no US warrant for his arrest.

This is a new one on me

Judge Nancy Atlas

Correspondents say the move is a tactic to fight fraud charges in Mexico which Mr Montemayor says are politically motivated.

His defence hopes that they can prove his complete innocence at an extradition hearing in the United States.

US District Judge Nancy Atlas set 17 July as the date for the hearing, and asked Mr Montemayor to remain in Houston.

"This is a new one on me," she said, shaking her head after a brief initial hearing on Tuesday.

"Your honour, I'm planning to stay," said the former oilman, who speaks fluent English.

"I'm not planning to take any trips but if I do I will tell my lawyer and you."

Case review

The former head of Pemex left Mexico shortly after it issued a federal arrest warrant on 8 May, accusing him and three former associates of embezzling and misusing public finds in 2000.

They allegedly diverted at least $170m through the Mexican oil workers' union to the campaign funds of the then-ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

Mexico's new president is under pressure to fight corruption

The election winner, Vicente Fox, has promised to fight any corruption left over from the PRI's decades in power.

Interpol has also been searching for Mr Montemayor at Mexico's request.

The US State Department has confirmed that Mexico formally asked for an arrest warrant to be issued for Mr Montemayor on 21 May.

Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed the case by telephone with Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda on Monday and the US Justice Department is now reviewing it.

Mr Montemayor insists that he is innocent and alleges that his family is being harassed in Mexico.