Giovanni di Stefano

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For other persons named Giovanni di Stefano, see Giovanni di Stefano (disambiguation).

Giovanni di Stefano (born July 1, 1955 in Pertrella Tifernina, near Campobasso, Italy) is an Italian European lawyer. He is based in Italy, but frequently works as a legal advocate in the United Kingdom where he has made a reputation for acting in many high-profile criminal cases in England and Wales. His work defending notorious clients has earned him the nickname "The Devil's Advocate" by the media in Europe.[1][2] He was a business associate of Serbian paramilitary leader "Arkan" (Željko Ražnatović)[2] and was one of the defence team in the trial of Saddam Hussein.[3][4] He also has founded a political party, taken a considerable interest in football and been a music producer.

Contents

Biography

Born in Pertrella Tifernina, near Campobasso, in rural southern Italy, he moved to Irchester in Northamptonshire in 1961, aged six.[1] He gained a fortune in his twenties by importing videotapes from Hong Kong.[1]

Legal career

Di Stefano runs an international legal practice from offices in Rome, the Studio Legale Internazionale.[5] He has been involved in a number of cases in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland,[6] and is well documented in the UK media for defending "some of the country's most notorious villains",[1] and for his comment that he would "...defend Adolf Hitler or Satan."[1] Notable clients that Giovanni di Stefano has defended include Saddam Hussein,[7][8] Tariq Aziz[9] Jeremy Bamber,[10] Nicholas van Hoogstraten,[11] John Gilligan[12], Charles Bronson[13] and Ian Strachan, one of the defendants in the 2007 Royal blackmail plot.[14] He has also represented Ronald Biggs, one of the Great Train Robbers, in his claims for release from prison,[15] and, since at least April 2006, his law firm's website has hosted a petition to free him.[16]

In 2002 the Governor of HM Prison Belmarsh opposed Di Stefano's access to a client in prison, but the case of R (Van Hoogstraten) v Governor of Belmarsh Prison[17] in the High Court (23 September 2002) held that Di Stefano could not be denied the right to visit a client.[18]

On 17 March 2007 he wrote to Lord Goldsmith, at that time the Attorney General for England and Wales, asking for leave to prosecute Judge Rauf Rashid Abd al-Rahman (the judge who sentenced Saddam Hussein) under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957.[19] On January 14, 2008 he was reported as saying "Hurried justice is no justice" after a UK client who had won £1million on the National Lottery failed to attend court as a witness in an assault case. Di Stefano stated in court that she had booked a holiday to Spain before being summoned and had not been able to prepare her statement on her return, but the judge jailed her for 14 days anyway.[20]

On 15 January 2008 Di Stefano said that he knew of a sixth victim of Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley called Jennifer Tighe[21] who he said had disappeared after saying she was going to the cinema in Manchester on 30 December 1964.[22] He said he had a photo of her, and intended to speak to Brady to see if the killer would confess to this latest allegation.[23] On 21 January 2008 the Greater Manchester Police issued a statement saying that Jennifer Tighe was alive and that the suggestion that she was a victim was speculative and had no basis in fact. The spokesman added "Mr. Di Stefano has previously made claims regarding the Moors murders in the media but has not provided any detail to Greater Manchester Police."[24]

In a statement released on his website dated 21 January 2008, Di Stefano stated and cited email correspondence with the GMP and invited them to interview his client, who he said had always been "ready, willing and able" to assist with any enquiry. He also stated that no evidence had been supplied by the GMP other than a statement that Tighe was actually alive, and invited the GMP to provide proper evidence.[25]

The Scotsman describes Di Stefano as a "colourful and often controversial lawyer";[26] The Guardian has called him "surely the only man in the world to claim the personal friendship of Saddam Hussein and the personal enmity of Delia Smith".[2]

Personal legal history

Di Stefano reports being motivated by "a sense of injustice" after his 1986 conviction for fraud "was quashed".[27] According to The Sunday Times Magazine, in 1986, Di Stefano was convicted after a 78-day trial and was jailed for five years[28] though the BBC reports that Di Stefano has stated this was then quashed on the second appeal but that "a sense of injustice remains, making each victory against the system a sweet revenge."[27] The charges were for conspiracy to obtain property by deception and fraudulent trading.[28] On 15 January 2004 The Guardian reported[29] that Di Stefano's legal status was under investigation by the British police and the Law Society.[5] Following this investigation, no action was taken against him.

The Scotsman has published records which it says show that Di Stefano's first attempt to appeal the conviction was dismissed.[30] According to a copy of the legal order retrieved from fastcase.com, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that Di Stefano had been deported and was subsequently denied re-entry to the United States in 1993 due to his conviction.[31]

Other interests

Football

In association with Arkan he purchased control of the Serbian second division football club FK Obilić;[32] within two seasons the club had won a place in the UEFA Champions League. Di Stefano announced his intention to purchase Dundee F.C. in 1999, however his bid failed due to adverse publicity.[32] In January 2001, Di Stefano announced his intention to purchase a stake in Norwich City F.C. from its former vice-chairman, however the deal failed to materialise.[33] In 2002, Di Stefano entered into talks to purchase a 60% stake in Northampton Town F.C.,[34] however Di Stefano's valuation of the club changed following an EGM, and the deal fell through.[35] Di Stefano approached the Dundee board again in 2003, and was appointed as a director on 7 August 2003.[32] Initially the club attracted big-name players such as Craig Burley and Fabrizio Ravanelli, but the club quickly ran into financial difficulties, 15 senior players were released from their contracts,[36] and Di Stefano resigned from the club on 22 January 2004.[37] In April 2005, he proclaimed an interest in investing approximately €1m in Irish football club Shelbourne F.C.,[38] but the club rejected his interest, citing his decision to let his intentions be known to the media first as the reason.[39] In October 2007, Di Stefano announced through his website his renewed interest in taking control of Norwich City F.C.[40]

Music producer

In 2007, he produced and launched Seriously Single, an album by Italian singer JustCarmen that included Everyone's Gone to the Moon, a track written by Jonathan King, who gave permission for its use. Stefano's idea was to put a relatively unknown singer into the studio with recordings of big stars from the past. Featured artists included The Bachelors, Elvis Presley and Al Martino.[41][42][43]

Founder of political party

In April 2004, Di Stefano founded a political party,[44] the Radical Party of Great Britain, by registering it at the Electoral Commission with himself as its leader.[45]. The party fielded no candidates in the 2005 General Election or the 2008 London Assembly election or 2008 Local Elections.

In a November 2007 interview with Dublin's Hot Press magazine, Di Stefano is reported as expressing an interest in running in the Republic of Ireland in the European Union elections with an anti-immigration manifesto.[46]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Jonathan King's 'best friend'. BBC News (2005-03-31). Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
  2. ^ a b c Esther Addley (2002-10-25). The devil's advocate. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
  3. ^ Saddam's attorney: 'When is this man going to be charged?'
  4. ^ CNN transcript: "Case Against Saddam; Behind the Verdict". CNN (Aired 14 June 2005).
  5. ^ a b Cowan, Rosie (2004-01-21). Fraudster lawyer's claim to act for Shipman is bogus, says family's solicitor. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  6. ^ studiolegaleinternazionale: Cases list. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  7. ^ AP Photo/Mohammad abu Ghosh. Photograph. “Giovanni di Stefano, a defence lawyer for Saddam Hussein, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in the Jordanian capital of Amman, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006.”
  8. ^ Gunmen kill Saddam lawyer
  9. ^ Iraq: Ex-deputy PM is innocent, says defence lawyer
  10. ^ BBC article and video interview for HARDtalk by David Jessel (first broadcast 2004-03-25)
  11. ^ Hoogstraten to fight conviction. BBC NEWS (March 12, 2003).
  12. ^ Shelbourne scraps talks with controversial Di Stefano
  13. ^ Visiting time: Charles Bronson invites us into his cell
  14. ^ Cathy Vervier (November 4, 2007). Checkered career of blackmail case 'devil's advocate'. Independent UK.
  15. ^ Biggs' bid for Christmas release. BBC News (April 4, 2008).
  16. ^ Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 2008-05-01.
  17. ^ Regina (Van Hoogstraten) v Governor of Belmarsh Prison [2003] 1 WLR 264
  18. ^ The right of a qualified European Union lawyer to practise in a country other than their country of origin is governed by the provisions of the (United Kingdom) European Communities (Services of Lawyers) Order 1978 (SI 1978/1910) (Amended 2004)."Annex 10A European Communities (Services of Lawyers) Order 1978"
  19. ^ Prosecuting Saddam's trial judge in the UK. JURIST (2007-04-27). Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  20. ^ Jailed lotto winner loses appeal. BBC News (2008-01-14). Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  21. ^ ‘Jennifer sixth Myra victim’ (2008-01-16). Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  22. ^ Did Myra Hindley murder 17 more children? (2008-01-20). Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
  23. ^ 'Sixth' Myra victim identified (2008-01-15). Retrieved on 2008-01-15.
  24. ^ Moors murder 'victim' is 'alive - Accessed January 26, 2008
  25. ^ Studio Legale Internazionale (Jan 21 entry)
  26. ^ Wright, Angus (2003-12-04). Marr brothers promise to write off Dundee debts. The Scotsman. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  27. ^ a b Tom Geoghegan (March 31, 2005). Jonathan King's 'best friend'. BBC News.
  28. ^ a b Russell Miller (August 21, 2005). A law unto himself. Times Online (www.timesonline.co.uk).
  29. ^ Cowan, Rosie (2004-01-15). Police probe Shipman lawyer claim. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  30. ^ Hannan, Martin (2003-10-12). Giovanni Di Stefano: The Truth. The Scotsman. Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  31. ^ Giovanni DI STEFANO, Plaintiff-Appellant v. Benedict J. FERRO, District Director INS, Rome Italy; Janet Reno, Attorney General, Defendants-Appellees. (no. 94-55822). United States 9th Circuit (1995-04-26). Retrieved on 2007-12-29.
  32. ^ a b c Di Stefano on board at Dens. BBC Sport.
  33. ^ Canaries sing for stakeholder power. Department of Culture, Media and Sport (June 2002). Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  34. ^ Arkan's lawyer has ambitions to take over Northampton. The Independent (2002-5-22). Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
  35. ^ Cobblers Deal Off. BBC Sport (2002-08-27). Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
  36. ^ Di Stefano steps down. BBC Sport (2004-01-22). Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
  37. ^ Huband, Graham (2004-01-23). Di Stefano quits but still has eyes for Dundee FC. The Courier. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  38. ^ Di Stefano requests Shels talks. BBC Sport (2006-04-20). Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
  39. ^ Statement regarding Di Stefano's interest in investing in the club. Shelbourne Football Club.
  40. ^ Saddam's lawyer wants to help Canaries (2007-10-24). Retrieved on 2007-11-08.
  41. ^ The Independent May 14, 2007, p16 Devi's Advocate takes his case to the charts
  42. ^ The Daily Star May 15, 2007
  43. ^ News of the World p.37 May 20, 2007
  44. ^ MacDonell, Hamish (2005-03-03). Saddam's lawyer eyes Dundee poll. The Scotsman. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
  45. ^ The Electoral Commission Register of political parties.
  46. ^ "I'm going to run in Ireland in the European elections. You better believe it. I'm perfectly entitled in the European election to run in any EU state. You don't need to be resident or Irish. I will take my seat in Ireland because a lot of people will follow me. We are not a right wing party. We may be radical in name but not in nature. One of the things we'll have to deal with, as a matter of urgency, is immigration. That is the key thing because otherwise you are going to dilute Irish blood to such an extent that you'll almost wish that Cromwell hadn't got ill!" -- Paid access. A free PDF version of the article is hosted at Di Stefano's website.

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