Francesco Pazienza (born 17 March 1946) is an Italian businessman and former officer of the SISMI, the Italian military intelligence agency. As of April 2007, he had been paroled to the community of Lerici,[1] after serving many years in prison, including a 1993 conviction due to his role in the Banco Ambrosiano scandal,[2] and a 1982 conviction for mishandling state secrets.[3]
Born in Monteparano, Pazienza holds a degree in medicine from the University of Rome. He worked as a business consultant in France during the 1970s. In 1979, he was hired into SISMI and became an assistant to SISMI director, General Giuseppe Santovito. Pazienza left the intelligence agency in the wake of the Propaganda Due scandal that rocked the Italian political scene in 1981. The Banco Ambrosiano scandal, Roberto Calvi's much-debated suicide, and charges of mishandling state secrets concerned with the 1980 Bologna bombing made Pazienza a fugitive from Italian law.[3]
Eventually, Pazienza ended up in the United States. A first extradition request from Italy was handed to the U.S. government in 1984, although Pazienza was not yet arrested. His arrest came only on 4 March 1985.[3] Extradition procedures ensued, and a judge ordered him to stand trial in Italy,[4] an appeal process did not change that, and Pazienza was handed over to the Italian government in June 1986.[5]
- ^ "Faccenderie Pazienza Volontario Pubblica Assistenza Lerici". ANSA. 17 April 2007.
- ^ "Olivetti Chief Convicted in Bank Scandal". The Guardian. 17 April 1993. p. 21.
- ^ a b c "Tale of Intrigue: How an Italian Ex-Spy Who Also Helped U.S. Landed in Prison Here". The Wall Street Journal. 7 August 1985. p. 1.
- ^ "Former Italian Spy Loses First Round in Extradition Case". The Wall Street Journal. 12 September 1985. p. 1.
- ^ "Pazienza Extradited". Financial Times. 20 June 1986. p. 1.