Swiss police arrest Italian businessman over crimes worth billions of euros
25/04/2015 18:22
ROME, April 25 (Reuters) - Swiss police have arrested an
Italian businessman active in the energy and luxury hat sectors
on suspicion of financial crime worth billions of euros, the
criminal justice department of the Swiss border region of Ticino
said.
Italy is seeking the extradition of Marco Marenco, who is in
jail in Lugano, the Italian-speaking Swiss canton's main city,
Ticino justice department spokesman Saverio Snider told Reuters,
without giving further details.
Italian magistrates could not be reached for comment.
Marenco previously held a large stake in Italian luxury
hatmaker Borsalino, but the firm, which is based in northern
Italy, did not respond when Reuters asked if he was still a
shareholder.
Borsalino said in March it was looking for ways to stay
afloat after losing millions of euros in 2013. However, the
company said on Saturday it was not involved in the case related
to Marenco's arrest and that he had not held a decision-making
role at the company since 2008.
In January, Marenco resigned from the board of directors at
Switzerland's OTI Energy OTI.S , a decision the company said
was taken for personal reasons and to allow the businessman to
attend better to his business affairs abroad.
Marenco also indirectly held a 15 percent stake in Italian
company K.R. Energy as of the end of March 2015, K.R. Energy
said in its 2014 financial results statement.
The two energy companies did not respond to calls for
comment. Calls to the homes of several people listed under the
name of Marenco in Asti, the businessman's hometown in northern
Italy, went unanswered.
The Ticino justice department did not give the name of any
lawyer for Marenco.
(Reporting by Isla Binnie; Additional reporting by Katharina
Bart in Zurich; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
((isla.binnie@thomsonreuters.com; +39 06 8522 4392; Reuters
Messaging: isla.binnie.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: ITALY SWISS/ARREST