Thursday, September 2, 2010

One of Europe’s best-known wine experts has said he will fight extradition to Dubai following a dispute over a dhs3.2 million payment to popstar Enrique Iglesias.

Pancho Campo, director of the prestigious Wine Academy in Barcelona, is wanted for the alleged fraud involving payments to Iglesias for an appearance in Dubai.

“A friend happened to see my wanted poster on the Interpol web site. I could not believe it,” he told 7DAYS from his home in Madrid, Spain.

Campo, who attracted Andre Agassi, Eric Cantona, Sting and many other major celebs to the emirate, says he had a bitter row with his former Dubai business partner. He says she paid dhs3.2 million to Inglesias for a concert at Dubai’s Aviation Club in exchange for a 40 per cent stake in Campo’s promotion company. But Campo claims the company went bust and he left the UAE for a new life in Spain.

Dubai police contacted international police agency, Interpol, after receiving a complaint about the matter.

Campo said he was shocked to see his wanted photo, which shows him posing outside a London vintner’s school after receiving one of the world’s highest awards for wine appreciation. “It was one of the happiest days of my life. To see my photo used on a wanted poster is really shocking,” he said.

Campo said he will not voluntarily return to the UAE to face the fraud charge. Campo, known for his dapper style, is now running wine schools and wine conferences for the rich and famous.

Al Gore spoke at one recent conference, while some of the biggest names in the wine business come to Campo’s yearly Spanish shows. “It’s embarrassing for me personally but I have nothing to hide. I’ll talk to anyone about this,” he said.

He has hired a high-powered team of Washington DC lawyers to deal with the case. His former business partner now runs a Dubai-based events company.

She did not respond to requests for comment.

 sean.odriscoll@7days.ae