Our correspondent Andreas Frank reports:  Britain has been accused of creating a “haven for the mafia” by refusing to extradite a convicted member of the crime organisation because of poor prison conditions he would face in Italy. Franco Roberti, Italy’s top anti-mafia prosecutor, described the decision as “devastating”, saying it would enable members of the mafia to take advantage of what he described as Britain’s apparently lax approach to fighting organised crime.

A senior district judge at Westminster Magistrates Court last week turned down Italy’s request for the extradition of mafia boss Domenico Rancadore, citing a ruling by the European court which claimed there was “a systemic problem” with its prison system, leading to degrading and inhuman treatment of inmates.

But Italian magistrates and politicians have reacted furiously to the British court’s ruling, claiming it threatens to undermine their fight against the Mafia.  Westminster Magistrate’s Court discharged Rancadore.

The ruling will come as a huge blow for the Italian authorities, who said Rancadore faced seven years in prison over the 1999 conviction. He is accused of being a “prominent representative” and a former “man of honour” in the Sicilian mafia offshoot, Cosa Nostra, for whom he allegedly collected bribes from builders in Trabia, near Palermo.

The mobster, who is accused of being a former “man of honour” in the Cosa Nostra group, fled to London with his wife in 1994 and lived under the radar for two decades before detectives raided his home last August.

Senior district judge Howard Riddle discharged Rancadore at Westminster magistrates court. In his 21-page judgment, Riddle said he could not accept assurances from the Italian authorities that prison conditions in the country would not breach Rancadore’s human rights.

The ruling represents a surprising turnaround for the judge, who said his original decision was to extradite Rancadore because he was satisfied that the European arrest warrant was valid and that to send him to Italy would not breach his human rights.

However, Riddle changed his decision following the ruling in a similar case involving the court of Florence and Hayle Abdi Badre. Riddle told the court that a recent ruling involving the court of Florence meant that he had to reject Italy’s request to extradite Rancadore.  The court heard concerns about overcrowding in Italian jails during a two-day extradition hearing last month.  Rancadore Ruling