France hands over suspected mafia chief Falsone to Italy after Marseille arrest
By APWednesday, August 11, 2010
France extradites suspected mafia boss to Italy
MARSEILLE, France — French prosecutors say a suspected mafia boss who had been among Italy’s top 30 fugitives was handed over to Italian authorities after he failed in his appeal to stay in France.
The prosecutor’s office at the Aix-en-Provence appeals court says 40-year-old Guiseppe Falsone was handed over Wednesday under high security.
Falsone was arrested in June on a street in Marseille, and he argued in French court that he was not a mafia boss. The court rejected his appeal.
Two European warrants had been issued for been issued for Falsone’s arrest, accusing him of complicity to murder and organizing a mafia-style group. He is reported to be close to Bernardo Provenzano, a top mobster arrested in 2006 after decades on the run.
