An Italian businessman who has been fighting extradition to Italy before the Maltese courts since last year, has voluntarily decided to return to his homeland to face judicial process for criminal conspiracy.

Antonio Ricci, 43, who has lived in Malta with his wife and children for 10 years, was due to face judgment before the Magistrates’ Court on January 16.

When the case was called on Thursday, a week in advance of the scheduled date, Mr Ricci’s lawyers said they had filed a note on January 7, in line with their client’s instructions, of voluntary surrender.

They stressed, however, that Mr Ricci was to face prosecution in Italy solely in terms of the European Arrest Warrant issued on December 20, 2019 and not for any other offences mentioned in an earlier arrest warrant that had been turned down on appeal by Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera last June.

There had also been a decision by a Review Tribunal of Reggio Calabria, dated September 27, 2019, whereby an alleged  “mafia association” in respect of Mr Ricci had been cancelled, leaving him liable to prosecution only for simple criminal conspiracy.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi minuted that this voluntary surrender was being made strictly in terms of the last European Arrest Warrant issued by the Italian authorities, without any mention of “mafia association.” His client was renouncing to any litigation currently pending before the Maltese Courts.

After taking note of the declarations, Magistrate Lia declared that Mr Ricci was to be remanded in custody pending his return to Reggio Calabria after the lapse of the statutory 10-day period.

Superintendent Christopher Galea Scannura and Inspector Mark Galea from the Police International Relations Unit prosecuted. Lawyers Matthew Xuereb and Charles Mercieca from the Attorney General's office assisted the prosecution. Lawyers Franco Debono, Arthur Azzopardi, Stephen Tonna Lowell and Amadeus Cachia were defence counsel.