Police still hunting jetset Sussex academic (From The Argus)

Police still hunting jetset Sussex academic

8:00pm Thursday 2nd July 2009 in

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A jetset academic on the run from Sussex Police has been served notice of legal proceedings against him in Switzerland, where he is believed to be hiding.

Erich Kofmel failed to answer bail in Britain in October after being arrested on suspicion of major fraud three months earlier.

It was alleged he had run a holiday scam which conned thousands of pounds from victims while living at a student house at the University of Sussex, in Falmer, Brighton.

Mr Kofmel, who has continued to appear at international lectures and write academic works, left Britain following his arrest and lived in Paris before moving to Switzerland.

He has not responded to contact from The Argus but on an internet blog confirmed he had received court documents stating that legal proceedings for fraud had been sent to him.

He said he planned to ignore them because they were addressed to Eric Kofmehl, an incorrect spelling of his name.

In his notes Mr Kofmel wrote that he had been the victim of a case of mistaken identity.

He said: "I hope that the authorities not just in Switzerland, but in other jurisdictions too, will now stop pursuing me and rather focus their energies on finding Eric Kofmehl. The mix-up of identities must stop here."

In a separate posting he claimed he had been victim of a cyberstalking campaign to discredit him. A victims' group, run anonymously, have been working with police to trace his whereabouts and circulating details of his activities.

Detective Constable Nigel Tillings, who is leading the Sussex Police investigation, said he had been in contact with Swiss and German authorities to share intelligence about allegations against Mr Kofmel.

DC Tillings said: "He is still wanted by us and we understand German police are looking for him for similar matters."

Mr Kofmel had previously been accused of running a scam in London where he charged potential tenants for reference checks when they enquired about renting a flat he advertised but did not possess.

He made headlines while at the University of Sussex by setting up an intellectual school, named the Sussex Centre for the Individual and Society, based in his flat.

He claimed the school would attract private investment to fund ground-breaking research. It was never recognised by the university, which distanced itself from the project, and was shunned by a number of academics following Mr Kofmel's arrest.

Companies House wound up two firms related to SCIS in May because they had not filed accounts.

On his blog Mr Kofmel said he had relocated the business to Switzerland.

His story is now being investigated by the BBC's Inside Out team who travelled to the flat were he is believed to be living last month. He did not answer the door when they visited.