Chico Forti returned to Italy, the meeting with Meloni at the airport: «I can't wait to hug my mother again»
The 65-year-old from Trentino landed in Pratica di Mare: he will go to Rebibbia, then to prison in VeronaPer restare aggiornato entra nel nostro canale Whatsapp
Almost 24 years after the life sentence for the murder of Dale Pike in June 2000, Chico Forti, the 65-year-old from Trentino released in recent days from a Florida prison after a long detention, has returned to Italy.
The plane landed at the military airport of Pratica di Mare, and was also welcomed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Forti will be transferred first to the Rebibbia prison, where he will stay for a few days, then to the Verona prison. “I can't wait to hug my mother again,” were his first words.
The return «is a great satisfaction for us after a battle that lasted like a Punic war. It's enough for us that he is in Italy today, now the path is downhill ", said his uncle, Gianni Forti. «It is certainly a great joy - he added - and for me the only regret is that I was not able to get him back sooner. Now we have the chance to give Chico a new life."
A few days ago Forti was transferred from the Florida State Prison in Miami to a federal facility by Immigration and Constoms Enforcement, the US immigration agency. He does not return to Italy as a free man: he will have to serve the remaining sentence according to Italian law, being able to access bonus permits, semi-freedom and finally conditional release over time.
The accusation and the sentence
Born in Trento in 1959, Forti dedicated an early part of his life to sport, distinguishing himself in particular in windsurfing. In the nineties he moved to Florida where he began a career as a producer of documentary films and that of a television presenter and also became involved in real estate brokerage. In 1998 he was involved in the murder of Dale Pike, for which he has always maintained his innocence. On June 15, 2000, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the crime by a jury in Miami's Dade County.
The uproar in Italy
His case has caused quite a stir in Italy, also in relation to some television broadcasts which have reconstructed the trial story. After a particularly long process and a discussion that lasted for years, the authorization for the transfer was announced by the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, following a meeting in Washington with the President of the United States, Joe Biden , on March 1st.
(Unioneonline/D)