Court orders extradition of convicted Italian businessman

Angelo Fregapane, 48 of Agrigento, Sicily will be extradited to Italy, where he has to serve a nine year jail term, handed to him by Italian courts for fraudulent bankruptcy.

Fregapane was arrested in an Qawra flat last October in an operation conducted by the Maltese police, who executed a European Arrest Warrant issued by Italian Police.

He was wanted by Magistrates in Agrigento, Sicily to serve four jail terms handed to him over a multi-million euro fraud to the detriment of a number of creditors and shareholders in various companies.

As a director of CESPEDA, and of Informatica Service Spa, between 1991 and 1999, Fregapane allegedly embezzled more than €1 million through his chairmanships in various other companies.

Fregapane was a high profile businessman in Sicily until he was arrested in 2010 and disappeared after spending three months under house arrest.

All the judgments were made effective and definite after plea bargaining, which were reduced to eight years, 11 months and 20 days from a total of 13 years.

Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna presided over the case.

Fregapane has so far not appealed the decision.