MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s justice minister has begun disciplinary action against three judges who granted house arrest to a Russian businessman facing extradition to the U.S. who later escaped and fled to Russia, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.
Artem Uss was due to face charges in the U.S. for shipping oil from Venezuela in breach of sanctions, and for bank fraud.
The suspect left his home in Basiglio, on the outskirts of Milan, last month one day after a Milan court had agreed to transfer him to the U.S. His electronic tag did send out an alarm but Uss had fled by the time police reached the property.
Italian Minister Carlo Nordio, according to the sources, accuses the Milan appeals court judges of “gross and inexcusable negligence” for granting the suspect house arrest last November despite opposition from the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Prosecutors, the sources said, had pointed out the deep financial resources of the suspect, who is the son of the Krasnoyarsk regional governor, and the real danger of flight.
Milan appeal court had no immediate comment.
Legal and judicial sources said that it is unusual for the government to enter into the merits of technical decisions issued by the judiciary, which is autonomous from the executive power.
The escape has embarrassed the government, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has also criticised the initial decision to grant Uss house arrest. Milan appeals court responded that prosecutors and the ministry of justice could have appealed against that decision.
Minister Nordio is expected in parliament on Thursday to report on this case to lawmakers.
(Reporting by Emilio Parodi; Editing by Keith Weir, William Maclean)
