Wealthy rapist goes on the run
A WEALTHY convicted rapist wanted in France is on the run in Britain after a judge bailed him to live at a £22million London flat.
Italian oil and gas tycoon Luigi Forino, 47, who has family and business ties in the UK, has been at large since December 8 when he failed to attend an extradition hearing at Westminster magistrates’ court.
He was conditionally bailed after a £20,000 surety was paid. The cash was forfeited on January 29.
It is understood the Crown Prosecution Service, representing France, opposed bail, but did not appeal the decision.
Bail conditions included an electronically monitored curfew at a luxury Mayfair apartment between 11pm and 5am, surrendering his passport and weekly reporting to police.
He is being sought by the National Crime Agency, but
Forino appears to have been posting about the energy sector, featuring in trade articles and even setting up Uk-based companies. Forino was arrested by the NCA extradition unit in Westminster last March on a European Arrest Warrant issued in France, where he is wanted to serve four years, six months for a 2017 rape.
It is not clear when he was convicted and if he was tried in his absence, or if he was able to leave France before sentence. Forino has referred to himself as Dr Louis Forinovonthyssen and a Linkedin account in that name has promoted his involvement with MCC Petroli and linked companies based in Geneva.
There was a post under his name on Linkedin last Monday. In an article published on Marketsherald. com last week, he was quoted: “We offer a holistic solution – from negotiating the best prices to handling logistics and legalities.”
The Sunday Express messaged the Linkedin account to ask where he was and why he absconded.
A reply said: “We are a public relations company based in New York and we manage this Linkedin profile for MCC OIL GAS Switzerland. We are unfamiliar with the entity you have referenced and will consider your message as spam.”
The account and an article apparently published by Forino on January 27 were taken offline within minutes of the reply.
His name is in a string of companies on the UK register including ones set up while on the run.
On January 16 MCC Capital was set up, using a Covent Garden registered office service address, with Forino listed as a director and company secretary, while Louis Thyssen Limited was set up to the bail address last July.
The Sunday Express emailed MCC Group, promoted by Forino online, to ask about his absconsion, and got no response.