Hungarian female lawyer accused of supporting Italian mafia

The Metropolitan Court ordered on Thursday the temporary extradition custody of a Hungarian female lawyer for allegedly supporting the Italian mafia.

The woman and her accomplices are thought to have formed a criminal group that operated in Italy and other countries, the court said in a statement.

The lawyer used her status to formally head Hungarian companies registered at the address of her Budapest law firm while the head of the criminal group was fully controlling the companies, using them for illegal transfer of assets and money laundering, the statement added.

The court of Catanzaro in Italy has issued a European arrest warrant against the lawyer in connection with nine criminal acts carrying a possible prison term of twenty years.

The woman has objected to being extradited, and she can only be transferred if the Italian authorities offer a sufficient legal guarantee by March 7, 2023 that, at her request, she will be transferred back to Hungary if she is sentenced to prison.