Roman entrepreneur Danilo Coopla, who
was sentenced in 2022 to seven years in prison for bankruptcy
fraud, was extradited to Italy on Sunday with a flight that
departed from Abu Dhabi.
Justice Minister Carlo Nordio expressed satisfaction for the
decision taken by the judicial and government authorities of the
United Arab Emirates.
"I would like to express my gratitude to Minister Al Nuaimi.
"This positive development in the judicial cooperation with the
United Arab Emirates shows that there can be no impunity for
those committing crimes in Italy and seeking shelter abroad",
said Nordio.
The decision, the justice ministry said, was taken after intense
judicial and diplomatic activities over the past few months,
following Nordio's visit to Abu Dhabi last February.
During talks with his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed Al Nuaimi,
the Italian minister raised several Italian extradition requests
that were still pending, including one regarding Coppola's
judicial case.
Meanwhile Coppola's defence attorneys Francesco Caroleo Grimaldi
and Pietro Pomanti said on Sunday that they will request house
detention over health concerns for their client.
"We are extremely concerned by our client's health problems",
they said, explaining that he "has suffered of serious
cardiovascular conditions for some time".
"Given this situation, we will apply to the surveillance court
for a suspension of the sentence with a request for house arrest
due to health", they said.
Real-estate magnate Coppola was arrested in Rome in May 2016 on
suspicion of fraudulent bankruptcy.
In April that year, Coppola was sentenced to nine years for a
string of bankruptcies totalling 300 million euros.
A Milan appeals court in 2020 sentenced him to a seven-year-term
for fraudulent bankruptcy - a verdict upheld by Italy's supreme
Cassation Court in 2022.
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