Serbian warlord was ‘great man’, court hears

By OLIVER WRIGHT
Published on 02/02/2013 00:00

A LAWYER dubbed the “Devil’s advocate” described Serbian warlord Arkan as a “great man” and called serial killer Harold Shipman’s conviction “absolutely outrageous”, a court heard.

Giovanni Di Stefano, 57, spoke out in a television documentary in which he claimed he would represent Adolf Hitler and Satan.

The 2004 programme, Notorious: The Devil’s Advocate, was shown to jurors at Southwark Crown Court.

Italian-born Di Stefano, a former director of Dundee FC, is on trial accused of 25 offences of deception, fraud, money laundering and forgery said to have taken place between 2004 and 2012.

Di Stefano allegedly defrauded clients out of almost £1m by claiming he was a qualified lawyer, when he had no legal qualifications and was not registered as such in Britain or Italy.

Di Stefano, of Canterbury, Kent, denies nine counts of
obtaining a money transfer by deception, one of attempting to obtain a money transfer by deception, one of obtaining property by deception, three of acquiring criminal property, one of using criminal property, eight counts of fraud and two counts of using a false instrument.

The trial continues.