Thai court approves extradition of "Pizza connection" banker
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Bangkok Criminal Court on Friday approved the extradition of a fugitive Italian banker who faces charges of laundering money for the Mafia in Italy, officials said.
Although Thailand and Italy have no extradition treaty, the court approved the extradition of Vito Roberto Palazzolo, 65, under acriminal cooperation agreement between the two countries, police said.
Palazzolo, who faces a nine-year prison sentence in Italy for Mafia association, has the right to appeal the Thai court's decision.
"I'm sure he will appeal, because if he goes back to Italy, he's in trouble," said Police Colonel Chartchai Eimsaeng, the Immigration Police's deputy chief of investigation. "The appeal process could take a year." Palazzolo, a former banker in Switzerland, was convicted of money laundering in the "Pizza Connection" trial involving a1.6-billion-dollar heroin and cocaine smuggling operation that used New York pizzeri as as fronts from 1975 to 1984.
Thai immigration police arrested Palazzolo on March 30, when he was preparing to board a flight for Johannesburg, South Africa.
He was arrested under an Interpol red notice, issued for people tobe detained for extradition.//DPA
