Justice Minister Carlo Nordio on
Wednesday signed the criminal prosecution request against
Moscow-based Russian-Italian Lanfranco Cirillo, known as the
architect of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is on trial
in absentia in Brescia for alleged customs offences and forgery
of legal documents.
Prosecutors asked the minister to lift the ground of
inadmissibility since the alleged crimes were committed outside
Italy.
In January 63-year-old Cirillo, who has designed major projects
for Putin, said he wouldn't come back to Italy to face trial,
and Russia said he did not meet the conditions for his request
as he also has Russian citizenship.
"Russia is my home. I have my work here, my interests and my
main relations," he told ANSA.
"At the moment I have no reason, not desire, to return to Italy,
given the treatment that has been given to me."
Cirillo is a founder and a co-owner of an architectural studio,
Masterskaja, in Moscow.
In 2014, he received Russian citizenship after more than 20
years of
residence in the country.
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