Court finds reasons for man's extradition

A magistrate yesterday ruled there were sufficient reasons for the extradition of a Maltese man to Italy to face trial on cocaine and cannabis importation from Holland to Catania last year.

Magistrate Joseph Cassar ruled for the extradition of Romeo Bone, 26, after deciding that a plea of nullity could not be upheld.

Magistrate Cassar ruled that the record of the inquiry had been defective at some point because the court had failed to ask for an extension for the lapse of the judicial time limits.

But the defect had been eventually rectified when the charges were again read out in court and the defence exempted the prosecution from bringing its evidence afresh.

After ruling there were no obstacles to the extradition, Magistrate Cassar sent the records of the case back to the Attorney General and informed Bone of his right to appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal.

Magistrate Cassar however also ordered that Bone was not to be extradited until the proceedings against him in Malta on a drug conspiracy charge were concluded.

Police Inspectors Neil Harrison and Norbert Ciappara prosecuted, with the assistance of counsel to the republic Dr Donatella Frendo Dimech.

Dr Joseph Giglio was counsel to Bone.