'Devil's Advocate' held on suspicion of fraud

ONE of the world's best known lawyers, nicknamed the "Devil's Advocate" for defending clients such as Saddam Hussein, Slobodan Milosevic and killer doctor Harold Shipman, has been arrested on suspicion of fraud on a British warrant in Majorca.

Giovanni di Stefano, 55, was yesterday under guard in a Palma hospital suffering from what was believed to be a mild complaint. He will be taken to Madrid when he is discharged.

He is wanted by detectives in London in connection with a fraud inquiry dating back several years.

Di Stefano, a former director of Dundee Football Club, will appear before an investigating judge at the National Criminal Court, which handles extradition cases in Spain.

If Di Stefano, who has Italian nationality but was brought-up in the UK, agrees to accept extradition, he will be escorted to the UK within a week or two.

But if the lawyer decides to fight his case, he could face months behind bars in Spain before a full hearing at the National Court.