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The UAE has extradited Italian national Danilo Coppola, who was convicted of financial crimes, to Italy following a formal request from the Italian authorities. The extradition marks an important development in legal cooperation between the two countries, according to a statement published by state news agency WAM.
The decision was confirmed during a telephone conversation between UAE Minister of Justice Abdullah bin Sultan Al Nuaimi and his Italian counterpart, Carlo Nordio, who stressed that the extradition was in line with the UAE-Italy bilateral extradition treaty.
“These agreements clearly demonstrate our determination to strengthen cooperation in legal and judicial matters, adhere to the highest international standards, and intensify efforts to combat serious and organized crime,” the ministers said in a joint statement.
They further noted that the extradition marks a positive step in the ongoing judicial cooperation between the UAE and Italy, and stressed their shared determination to ensure that individuals who commit crimes and attempt to evade justice by fleeing the country face the consequences of their actions.
Danilo Coppola’s lawsuit in Italy
According to local media reports, Danilo Coppola was arrested by Abu Dhabi police last year after being stopped in a shopping centre in the city. His arrest followed an Interpol alert issued in response to an international arrest warrant requested by Italian authorities.
Coppola, who was briefly released after his arrest, posted a video on Instagram in which he maintained his innocence and criticized the Italian justice system. “I want to thank those who have shown me solidarity during this latest madness that has happened to me,” he said in the video.
Coppola’s legal troubles date back several years. In 2022, Italy’s Supreme Court upheld his conviction on three charges of fraudulent bankruptcy linked to the collapse of various real estate businesses. He was sentenced to nine years in prison for these crimes, which included bankruptcies totaling 300 million euros (about 1.2 billion dirhams).
The warrant that led to his arrest in Abu Dhabi was based on this conviction, but Coppola is also wanted for his involvement in two separate cases in Milan. In 2020, a Milan appeals court sentenced Coppola to seven years in prison in a separate bankruptcy fraud case, a sentence that was upheld by Italy’s Supreme Court in 2022.
Coppola also faces charges of attempted extortion and misuse of confidential information in two other cases. He denies all charges in those cases.
Coppola was living in Switzerland before his arrest in the UAE, but Swiss authorities rejected an Italian request to extradite him in connection with a May 2022 extortion attempt.
The UAE’s approach to financial criminals
The UAE’s decision to extradite Coppola is part of the country’s broader efforts to tackle financial crimes, as the country steps up efforts to address the problem of convicted and suspected financial crimes offenders relocating to the country.
Recently, the UAE extradited British trader Sanjay Shah to Denmark on tax evasion charges, further demonstrating the country’s commitment to uphold international justice and support global law enforcement efforts.
Denmark begins trial against Sanjay Shah in fraud case