Since when has being considered good looking and rich been a legal defense ?

There is an Indian guy in Bristol who is fighting extradition to South Africa where he is suspected of arranging the contract killing of his wife. Apparently part of his his defence is that being good looking and rich would make him excessively vulnerable in the South African prison system. Err, pardon me, what kind of defense is that ? Surely they should be concentrating on the evidence of his involvement in his wifes death, not whether ho would have a nice time prison. I should imagine in a British prison being good looking and wealthy could attract some ' unwanted ' attention. What is the premise here, is it ' I am wealthy so I am above the law '?