Updated | Wanted Sicilian accepts to be extradited to Italy

The Sicilian, Salvatore Stefano Rizzotto, 38 from Syracuse was arrested on Tuesday by the Maltese police who were alerted about his presence on the island by the Italian authorities.

Rizzotto – an electrical engineer - was traced by the Italian police as they followed a couple to Malta who were meant to meet him, and subsequently traced a series of telephone calls between the three.

The couple were photographed and followed in Malta in the company of the Sicilian and was arrested in Valletta in a joint Italo-Maltese operation.

According to the Italian authorities, Salvatore Stefano Rizzotto is linked to the Syracusan mafia and is wanted in connection with a drug sting nicknamed ‘Building 8’ that last September led the police to seize almost half a tone of marijuana and cocaine.

He was charged before a Maltese court last Thursday before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli while a warrant for his immediate extradition to Italy was also presented.

He was remanded in custody until his locally appointed lawyer Anglu Farrugia stressed yesterday before another Magistrate, that a wrong procedure was used by the previous Magistrate that received his case.

Anglu Farrugia stressed that his client should be released immediately as he should not pay for the mistakes of the authorities.

Donnatella Frendo Dimech from the Attorney Generals Office, said that the prosecution had tried to bring to the magistrate’s attention the fact that there were a special set of laws regarding extradition proceedings.

But Farrugia said that since procedure was not followed and the name of the accused was not even registered, the proceedings were null and his client should be released.

The prosecution asked the court to remedy the situation.

Magistrate Apap Bologna who presided over this morning's sitting ruled that the initial arraignment procedure was null, however he ruled that the Sicilian must be kept in custody and be re-arraigned with the same charges.

It was at this point that Rizzotto stated in court that he was accepting to be extradited to Italy and face his charges.