Oil tycoon John Deuss has had his legal case against the Government heard by the highest court for the Island.

The Privy Council, sitting in the Bahamas yesterday, reserved judgement on the civil appeal brought by the Dutch multi-millionaire in connection with his arrest on the Island in October 2006.

The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal have already rejected Mr. Deuss's claim that Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo was wrong to issue a provisional warrant for his arrest at the request of prosecutors in the Netherlands investigating a complicated tax swindle known as carousel fraud.

But last June his British QC Clare Montgomery sought leave to appeal to the Privy Council on the issue of whether or not an extradition treaty exists between the Netherlands and the British Overseas Territories.

Mr. Deuss was seized by detectives before being voluntarily extradited to his homeland in 2006. He has always denied any wrongdoing and has never been charged with an offence in connection with the inquiry.

His application to appeal to the Privy Council, costing $12,000, was not objected to by lawyers for the respondents: the Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

A Government spokeswoman told The Royal Gazette that yesterday's hearing took all day, with DPP Rory Field, Solicitor General Barrie McKay and London barrister Howard Stevens acting for the Bermuda Government.

Ms Montgomery represented Mr. Deuss, who has a home in Tucker's Town and an office in Flatts.

The spokeswoman said it was thought to be the third time the Privy Council had travelled to the Caribbean and that they also heard cases involving Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas on this occasion.

She said Mr. Field expected it to be several weeks before a judgment was delivered.