A Magistrates’ Court has ordered the extradition of a Maltese man who is wanted in Italy to face charges over alleged involvement in a cross-border drug trafficking organisation.
The decision was delivered on Wednesday against John Spiteri, 56, who was arrested in June on the strength of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Tribunale di Catania. Spiteri is facing prosecution for his alleged role in a drug-trafficking organisation and also for trading in and transporting marijuana-type drugs.
The first offence carries a maximum 24 year jail term, while the second is punishable with a maximum term of imprisonment of 13 years four months, under Italian law.
Wednesday's judgment marks the latest, and possibly the last, stage in a court saga which has been ongoing since Spiteri’s arrest in June.
Extradition request was initially turned down
The Italian authorities’ request was initially turned down by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech on the grounds of a lack of information which the prosecution ought to have produced by means of the so-called ‘Form A.’
The Attorney General subsequently appealed and the court of appeal annulled the decision, ordering Spiteri’s case to be tried again.
The case landed back before Magistrate Frendo Dimech who, when delivering judgment on Wednesday, observed that when 'Form A' was eventually presented, it turned out to contain information that was “indispensable” to the case.
The prosecution also presented a Richiesta di Rinvio a Giudizio (bill of indictment) issued by the Italian prosecutor.
That documentation supplied a “very detailed and clear explanation of facts” which underpinned the European Arrest Warrant targeting Spiteri.
The court was presented with intercepts between Spiteri and the boss of the drug-trafficking organisation, Rosario Amico.
The racket involved the importation of drugs from Albania to Sicily for trafficking on the Italian and Maltese markets.
Spiteri, who was described as “a permanent purchaser of marijuana,” had allegedly engaged in discussions with Amico as to how the drugs could be smuggled into Malta and had also travelled to Italy to meet the boss at a silo-manufacturing company.
The plan was to smuggle drugs into Malta by placing them inside those containers.
Along with the intercepts, Italian police were also in possession of photos which corroborated that conversation and also provided the necessary background.
The court observed further that a dispute had broken out when an 84 kilo shipment of marijuana never made it to its final destination after being intercepted by Maltese police.
The drug was allegedly being smuggled from Pozzallo, hidden inside furniture which had been transported to the Sicilian port town by three Albanian nationals taking instructions from Amico.
Two other members of the organization were tasked with ferrying the drug to Malta, but the delivery failed when police intercepted the consignment.
In light of all information put forward the court concluded that there was no doubt that all legal requisites for Spiteri’s extradition were satisfied.
He, however, cannot be sent back before the lapse of seven days and subject to his right to appeal or any possible breach of rights claim.
AG lawyer Ylenia Abela prosecuted.