The Government has delayed its decision on extraditing technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who is facing fraud charges in the US., the Home Office confirmed to City A.M. this afternoon.

A decision on the billionaire was expected this week but a Home Office spokesperson said it has been granted a seven-day extension.

Some back benchers have urged the home secretary to over-rule the decision to extradite the Lynch, who would face 17 charges of fraud.

A judge ruled Lunch could be sent to the US to face trial over the $11bn sale of software developer Autonomy, in July this year.

Accusations

The businessman faces accusations he flattered Autonomy accounts to extract a better price when it was sold to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Hewlett-Packard wrote off $8.8bn of the value of the acquisition, a year after the sale. The company blamed an alleged accounting fraud for $5bn of the impairment.

Lynch – who has denied the accusation – could spend more than 20 years behind bars, if found guilty.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Extensions for making a decision on any given case can be made under the Extradition Act 2003. The home secretary is giving full consideration to the relevant issues raised in this case.”

Section 99(4) of the Extradition Act 2003, allows for permission to be sought for an extension on any given case.