Roman entrepreneur Coppola extradited to Italy

Rome: Roman entrepreneur Danilo Coopla, who was sentenced in 2022 to seven years in prison for bankruptcy fraud, was extradited to Italy on Sunday with a flight that departed from Abu Dhabi.

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio expressed satisfaction for the decision taken by the judicial and government authorities of the United Arab Emirates.

“I would like to express my gratitude to Minister Al Nuaimi.

“This positive development in the judicial cooperation with the United Arab Emirates shows that there can be no impunity for those committing crimes in Italy and seeking shelter abroad”, said Nordio.

The decision, the justice ministry said, was taken after intense judicial and diplomatic activities over the past few months, following Nordio’s visit to Abu Dhabi last February.

During talks with his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed Al Nuaimi, the Italian minister raised several Italian extradition requests that were still pending, including one regarding Coppola’s judicial case.

Real-estate magnate Coppola was arrested in Rome in May 2016 on suspicion of fraudulent bankruptcy.

In April that year, Coppola was sentenced to nine years for a string of bankruptcies totalling 300 million euros.

A Milan appeals court in 2020 sentenced him to a seven-year-term for fraudulent bankruptcy – a verdict upheld by Italy’s supreme Cassation Court in 2022.