PERTH octogenarian Charles Zentai will again take his battle against extradition to the Federal Court of Australia when it convenes in Perth on March 10.

At that sitting, the court will hear an application by Zentai to review its previous finding that a lower court has jurisdiction to conduct his extradition trial.

Perth magistrate Barbara Lane ruled in 2008 that Zentai’s case met the requirements of the Extradition Act and that he was eligible to be extradited to Hungary to stand trial.

But Zentai’s lawyers have argued the Magistrates Court did not have the jurisdiction to make the ruling on the Extradition Act.

The final decision to extradite Zentai is in the hands of federal Minister for Home Affairs Bob Debus.

After investigations through Israel’s Simon Wiesenthal Centre, Australian authorities located Zentai in Perth in 2005, after which he was arrested and charged -– and the Hungarian Government requested his extradition.

But Zentai, 87, denies the charges and his lawyers have presented procedural issues before the High Court and Federal Court.

The Australian has reported the death of Zentai’s 93-year-old sister Julia Nikoletti of Perth last year, who claimed she had a firsthand account of her brother’s whereabouts in November 1945, but could not verify the date he left Budapest.

Another witness, living in Hungary, has reportedly said she also cannot remember the date she left Budapest with Zentai.

ajn.com.au