PHILIPSBURG--Recently-arrived businessman Francesco Corallo still has to show up for court in Rome, Italy, soon, according to Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Norman Serphos this week.
Corallo arrived in St. Maarten last week Wednesday and started meetings with his lawyer on-island.
Serphos added that the casinos owned by Corallo are still seized on request of Italian authorities until they deem it no longer needed. The Italians approached local authorities in 2016 with the request to confiscate properties belonging to the suspect worth up to 215 million euros.
Corallo and Atlantis Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Rudolf Baetsen were arrested in St. Maarten in December 2016 on request of Italian authorities. The Prosecutor’s Office said at the time that Corallo would be prosecuted in Italy for tax evasion and bribery of several politicians, amongst other things. Italy-born Corallo is also suspected in Italy of using his businesses for money-laundering.
Corallo was extradited to Italy on August 16, 2017. His extradition had been requested by Italy’s Minister of Justice on December 30, 2016. The Joint Court of Justice in Philipsburg, St. Maarten, ruled the request permissible on June 20, 2017. The Governor of St. Maarten signed the documents on August 4, 2017, formalising the extradition to Italy. The Prosecutor’s Office is still awaiting more information from the Italian prosecutor services.
