Author Topic: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud  (Read 6557 times)

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Offline John

Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« on: January 18, 2013, 02:52:28 AM »
Yes its official!  Former Bamber lawyer Giovanni di Stefano to sit trial on multiple counts of fraud and deception.

Di Stefano was arrested at his Spanish home in Palma, Majorca, in 2011 and was eventually extradited to the UK to face trial for fraud.  Among the charges is one of deception in that it is alleged that he has represented several high profile individuals as a lawyer whilst not qualified to do so. He has consistently failed to provide any record of having gained a Law Degree in any country.  He most recently claimed that his membership of the US-based American Bar Association somehow qualified him to practise Law.  The Association has refuted this.  Di Stefano's son was once asked on camera which university his dad had obtained a Law Degree from and responded that he thought it was Cambridge.

Here is an article from Court News detailing the case.

http://www.courtnewsuk.co.uk/newsgallery/?news_id=30319

The most recent information provided to me is that the trial will take place at Southwark Crown Court commencing on 28 January.  A period of some 4 weeks has been set aside for what will be quite a media event.  Our insiders should be in attendance.

« Last Edit: January 18, 2013, 02:57:13 AM by John »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline Mr Justice K

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2013, 04:41:02 PM »
You may like to know that Mr Di Stefano's trial commenced today at Southwark Crown Court.

Known as the 'devils advocate' by some, he is being represented by Mr Len smith QC on instructions from Blackfords.   Along with various fraud charges he is being prosecuted for acting as a lawyer whilst not qualified.
Law without justice is a wound without a cure.  (William Scott Downey)

Offline insider

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2013, 05:01:37 PM »
You may like to know that Mr Di Stefano's trial commenced today at Southwark Crown Court.

Known as the 'devils advocate' by some, he is being represented by Mr Len smith QC on instructions from Blackfords.   Along with various fraud charges he is being prosecuted for acting as a lawyer whilst not qualified.


Can't wait to see how he will get out of that one as he has never been able to furnish any proof that he every graduated in Law from anywhere.
Liars come in all shapes and sizes. No profession is without them.

Offline Mervyn

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2013, 06:22:02 PM »
You may like to know that Mr Di Stefano's trial commenced today at Southwark Crown Court.

Known as the 'devils advocate' by some, he is being represented by Mr Len smith QC on instructions from Blackfords.   Along with various fraud charges he is being prosecuted for acting as a lawyer whilst not qualified.


Can't wait to see how he will get out of that one as he has never been able to furnish any proof that he every graduated in Law from anywhere.


There is an excellent article about him on wikipedia which goes into some details of what the frauds and deceptions refer to.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Di_Stefano_%28businessman%29

Padgates staff

  • Guest
Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #4 on: January 28, 2013, 06:28:10 PM »
I don't think he's been particularly sucessful as a solicitor, he won a case for John 'Goldfinger' Palmer and an early release (or something) for Nicholas van Hoogstraten, I think the case will be interesting, it's times like this I wish we court have 'Courtroom TV'!!

Offline Mervyn

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2013, 06:41:11 PM »
I don't think he's been particularly sucessful as a solicitor, he won a case for John 'Goldfinger' Palmer and an early release (or something) for Nicholas van Hoogstraten, I think the case will be interesting, it's times like this I wish we court have 'Courtroom TV'!!

He's not a solicitor Joanne, he a fraud.

He previously evaded justice by running off to Serbia during the Balkan wars and made pals with Željko Ražnatović, widely known as Arkan.   Arkan was a Serbian career criminal and later a paramilitary leader who was notable for organizing and leading a paramilitary force in the Yugoslav Wars.

He was on Interpol's most wanted list in the 1970s and 1980s for robberies and murders committed in a number of European countries and was later indicted by the UN for crimes against humanity. Arkan was assassinated in 2000 before his trial.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BDeljko_Ra%C5%BEnatovi%C4%87
« Last Edit: January 28, 2013, 06:45:12 PM by Mervyn »

Offline John

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2013, 10:18:49 PM »
I don't think he's been particularly sucessful as a solicitor, he won a case for John 'Goldfinger' Palmer and an early release (or something) for Nicholas van Hoogstraten, I think the case will be interesting, it's times like this I wish we court have 'Courtroom TV'!!

He's not a solicitor Joanne, he a fraud.

He previously evaded justice by running off to Serbia during the Balkan wars and made pals with Željko Ražnatović, widely known as Arkan.   Arkan was a Serbian career criminal and later a paramilitary leader who was notable for organizing and leading a paramilitary force in the Yugoslav Wars.

He was on Interpol's most wanted list in the 1970s and 1980s for robberies and murders committed in a number of European countries and was later indicted by the UN for crimes against humanity. Arkan was assassinated in 2000 before his trial.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BDeljko_Ra%C5%BEnatovi%C4%87

That's true but he has lots of bottle to have gotten away with pretending to be one for so long.  Remember, this guy also acted for Saddam Hussein and many other high profile individuals.

The judicial system must be really slack in the UK to have let this fraudster and conman get away with impersonating a lawyer for so long.  I just hope they make an example of him now.
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline Myster

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2013, 07:01:54 PM »

Giovanni Di Stefano's certainly rubbing the jurors up the wrong way.... it would be laughable if he was convicted
and ended up in the next cell to his best mate in Full Sutton!... @)(++(* ... he'll probably end up in a Cat. C though.  ?8)@)-)

It's one of them cases, in'it... one of them f*ckin' cases.

jackiepreece

  • Guest
Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2013, 08:04:53 PM »
05 FEBRUARY 2013

Giovanni di Stefano versus the legal Southwark Crown Court prawns

Giovanni di Stefano - the Devil's Advocate

The trial that Giovanni di Stefano is up against at Southwark Crown Court would put fear into the heart's of ordinary mortals. But to somebody with the strength of personality of this man it is merely another day at the office.

In very many trials it is the standard practice of organisations such as the CPS to set out to distort evidence, in order to gain convictions by deceit. Giovanni knows this tactic only too well, because this is one of the ways in which he has been able to overturn convictions in some difficult cases, by exposing the lies of the Prosecution. The CPS get a little cocky, that they know all the tricks, and that leads them to become complacent.

Has the CPS become a little complacent in taking on Giovanni? We will have to see how this works out in the endgame. But it is likely that Giovanni will expose the CPS for the crude liars and deceivers that they really are.

The jury often has little idea about how they are being lied to during a trial. In many cases it is a charade played out to bring in a "guilty" verdict. The public perception is that this is "Justice", and that British Justice is among the best in the world. Well, let us see if British lawyers live up to their professional standards during Giovanni's trial. Let us see what British Justice is all about!

Which website is the above taken from, Jack?
« Last Edit: February 13, 2013, 08:58:47 PM by Andrea »

Offline Andrea

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2013, 08:59:11 PM »
Which website is the above taken from, jack?

jackiepreece

  • Guest
Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2013, 09:02:32 PM »
Andy I just googled GS and that was just a newspaper article, I will go back and find the source.  I just thought it was interesting article about the failings in the legal system

Offline John

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2013, 10:08:48 PM »
I was sent this article by an interested party this afternoon.  I thought you might enjoy hearing all about the fake lawyer Jack.

I don't know why you are defending him Jack because he is a fake.  He isn't a lawyer, he never was a lawyer, he does not have a Law degree.


Liar ?Lawyer? pants on fire

Di Stefano's life of fraud stuns court.


BOGUS mob lawyer Giovanni Di Stefano ran scared from the Sunday World after being humiliated this week when a court heard details of his career as a serial fraudster.

The self-dubbed Devil's Advocate was left red-faced when we confronted him outside a UK courtroom, which had just heard how he duped clients out of hundreds of thousands of pounds by pretending to have legal qualifications.



Giovanni Di Stefano runs from the truth when confronted by our man Donal MacIntyre

Jurors also stifled laughter as they heard him describe Saddam Hussein as "a lovely man who noone can say a word against".

And there was shock as the trial was told how spoofing Stefano - who has duped some of the Irish media into treating him seriously as a lawyer - claimed he could have got Adolf Hitler off a war crimes rap as he had nothing to do with the holocaust.

Fraudster

But the loudmouth fraudster, who loves spoofing to gullible reporters, had nothing to say when approached by the Sunday World. Ironically, the 57-year-old conman, who loves to mingle with underworld killers and crime lords, pleaded with us to leave him alone or he would "call the police".

We can also reveal how the so-called Devil's lawyer and previously convicted fraudster - who once boasted he was worth ?700m - is now living in a dilapidated, converted farm building which he laughingly describes as the centre of a global media empire.

Di Stefano denies 25 counts of deception, fraud and money laundering. The court hear how he tricked people into thinking he was a legal professional when he was "not a qualified lawyer at all". He faces a long stretch in jail if convicted. Sitting behind his qualified legal team, the once dapper businessman and advisor to the underworld bit his nails and cut a shambolic figure. And the jury at Southwark Crown Court in central London laughed while being told of his bombastic boasts about his friendship with Saddam Hussein, his defence of Adolf Hitler, and his support of fascist Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

He also claimed to represent timeshare fraudster John 'Goldfinger' Palmer and the notorious drugs smuggler John Gilligan, as well as Harold Shipman, the UK's most prolific serial killer, and cop killer and crime godfather Kenny Noye.

His most infamous 'client' was Saddam Hussein, who in 1998 gave him a set of gold chairs and of which Di Stefano is very proud of.

Blushed

"I've always said that he's a nice guy - there isn't a person that can say a bad word about him," the court heard him say of Hussein, to the unrestrained laughter of the jury.

Shamless Di Stefano even blushed when the court heard his claims that there was no evidence that Hitler was responsible for the gassing of millions during World War II.

"Not a single document would connect Hitler with a signature or memo with those heinous crimes, and on that basis he would have been acquitted of war crimes," he said, before calling for a mock trial to establish the innocence of the German Nazi dictator.

His lies caught up with him in February of last year when he was arrested in Palma, Spain, and extradited to the UK to face a succession of criminal charges.

The legal qualifications of Di Stefano have been challenged for nearly a decade, but this is the first time that he has been charged with duping people into believing he is a lawyer.

The 57-year-old is accused of stealing ?800,000 from clients while claiming to be a legitimate legal advisor.

The Court was told that Di Stefano would tell clients that he was "well connected" and extremely wealthy and would encourage the perception with offers of meetings in Rome and Portugal.

However, he is currently renting a rundown converted barn in North Stream, Marshside in the Kent Countryside.

Steps to the wooden building were in a dangerous state and weeds were abundant around the property, which now purports to be the headquarters of his new media empire.

The business, known as The Online Publishing Company, is currently being investigated in Ireland for incitement to hatred and defamation arising from the conman's outrageous and libellous attacks on anyone who has exposed his lies.

http://sundayworld.com/columnists/don…
« Last Edit: February 13, 2013, 11:01:37 PM by John »
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.

Offline Andrea

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2013, 10:18:52 PM »
 What planet does GDS live on?

Offline Andrea

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2013, 10:20:02 PM »
He came up with some crazy theories about the WHF murders too, didnt he. Can somebody remind me of them?

Offline John

Re: Giovanni di Stefano to face trial on multiple counts of fraud
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2013, 11:31:57 PM »
He came up with some crazy theories about the WHF murders too, didnt he. Can somebody remind me of them?

He still hasn't grasped the concept that it had to be Jeremy or Sheila so he obviously isn't as well briefed on the case as he would have some people believe.  When he was challenged on twitter about his knowledge of the case he blocked us.
A malicious prosecution for a crime which never existed. An exposé of egregious malfeasance by public officials.
Indeed, the truth never changes with the passage of time.