Polly Peck boss 'may head to UK'

FUGITIVE tycoon Asil Nadir is planning a return to Britain to face the music over his failed Polly Peck conglomerate.

Nadir, who has been living in northern Cyprus since fleeing in 1993, has approached the Serious Fraud Office to cut a deal where he would not be held in custody if he returned to attempt to clear his name.

His legal team is attempting to have the case against Nadir dismissed on the grounds that he would not receive a fair trial.

Nadir alleges there were serious abuses of the legal process by the SFO and argues that pre-trial publicity would make a fair hearing impossible. A ruling in 2001 means the businessman cannot appeal until he returns to Britain.

The SFO has yet to reply to his request, made through Manchester-based lawyer Peter Krivinskas. But a spokeswoman said the SFO remained keen to pursue the prosecution.

The 58-year-old is charged with 66 counts of theft following the collapse of his £2.2bn Polly Peck foods to electronics empire in 1990.

Nadir instructed Krivinskas to start bail negotiations 11 days ago and appeared to be fit and healthy - a far cry from the 'chronically depressed' and 'paranoid' man described by his psychiatrists during his 2001 appeal.

'He was clearly confident. He was not somebody in the throes of depression and desperate to come back to England...he is in good health and ready to fight the fight,' Krivinskas said.