Honeymoon slaying suspect arrives in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A British man accused of arranging the killing of his wife on their honeymoon arrived under escort in South Africa on Tuesday after he lost a long battle to avoid extradition from Britain.

Shrien Dewani landed at Cape Town's international airport in a plane that was chartered by South Africa's justice ministry because of concerns about security and adequate monitoring of his medical condition if he had taken a commercial flight, the ministry said in a statement. The government "did not want to take chances" with Dewani's transfer because of "undisputed evidence" during his extradition hearing that he had shown suicidal tendencies, according to the ministry.

Lawyers for the 34-year-old businessman say he suffers from post-traumatic stress and depression and is unfit to stand trial. But Britain's High Court last month rejected all his grounds for appeal of the extradition order.

Dewani arrived in South Africa with an escort consisting of a doctor, a nurse and officials from Interpol and the South African police, the justice ministry said. He was expected to appear in the Western Cape High Court later Tuesday to be charged with conspiracy to commit murder and defeating the ends of justice, the South African Press Association reported.

His 28-year-old bride, Anni, was found shot dead in an abandoned taxi in Cape Town's Gugulethu township in November 2010.

Dewani is accused of hiring men to kill his wife and make it look like a botched carjacking. Three men, including the cab's driver and a gunman, have been convicted for the murder. Dewani denies wrongdoing.

South African authorities had allowed Dewani to leave for Britain after the killing. He was later arrested there, setting the stage for a legal battle over extradition that lasted years.