Italian Court Suspends Extradition of Former Banco do Brasil Marketing Director Pizzolato

05/07/2015 - 09h07

Lazio's Regional Administrative Court has suspended the extradition of former Banco do Brasil marketing director Henrique Pizzolato for 20 days. The concession was made on Wednesday (6), following a request by Pizzolato's defense team.

Luigi Tosti, president of the court's first chamber, said that the decision was down "exclusively to the irreparability of damage" that Pizzolato would suffer in being extradited to Brazil before the court assessed the grounds for appeal. A decision will be made on June 3.

"Until this date, Henrique Pizzolato is certain to remain in Italy," said Alessandro Sivelli, Pizzolato's lawyer, to the news agency Ansa.

Pizzolato has already exhausted all his options, both legally and politically. The Supreme Court of Cassation, Italy's highest court, has ruled in favor of extradition, as has Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

Sentenced to twelve years and seven months in prison for corruption, embezzlement and money laundering in the mensalão scandal, Pizzolato fled to Italy, where he entered using the passport of a brother deceased for more than 35 years.

He was arrested in early February 2014 in an Interpol operation in Maranello, in northern Italy, for using a false passport. He was later released, after a request for his extradition was denied by the Italian courts. He was then re-arrested in February this year after the court reversed its decision.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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