A pilot accused of having flown the fugitive businessman, Asil Nadir, out of Britain is appearing in court, charged with perverting the course of justice.

Peter Dimond is said to have helped Asil Nadir when he fled to the self-declared Turkish republic of northern Cyprus in May 1993.

Mr Nadir was facing charges of the theft of $43m and false accounting, following the collapse of his company, Polly Peck, with debts of $2bn.

Mr Nadir later told Turkish journalists that he left Britain because he did not think he would be given a fair trial.

He built up Polly Peck International from a small fruit trading business. It was one of Europe's biggest conglomerates until its collapse in 1990.

In 1994 Polly Peck's creditors were told they were likely to get only a fraction of the millions they were owed.
 

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