James McCulloch, St Mungo Terrace, has been accused of an attack on a 17-year-old girl outside her home in Sunbury, Victoria, in 2005.

The 53-year-old described the wait for extradition as a “total nightmare” but the Crown Office said he would soon be escorted to Australia by Australian police officers.

A spokesman for the Crown Office said Mr McCulloch consented to extradition last month and a sheriff at Edinburgh Sheriff Court then referred his case to the Scottish Ministers.

Their role was to examine his case to see if there were any reasons why extradition could not go ahead. They were satisfied that his transfer could take place and made an order to that effect on July 21.

Under extradition procedures, a person must be extradited within 28 days of the order.

The Crown Office said the relevant police authorities in Scotland and Australia would be liasing to determine the best arrangements for Mr McCulloch’s extradition.

Mr McCulloch denies the charges against him but admits to smacking the girl on the bottom after she made an offensive remark about his Scottish roots.

He had been due to stand trial in April 2006, but had returned home to Scotland with his family the previous month following the death of his mother-in-law.

Mr McCulloch believes he is a “pawn” in a political game and the authorities plan to make an example of him. He also says he cannot afford a proper defence.

He said, “I am just waiting for a knock on the door. They don’t have to give me any notice before they take me off,” he said.