October 12th arrived quite slowly for Alessandro Santi who had already endured 18 months of mental torture patiently waiting to see a resolve to this issue, knowing that at the latter end of this period he was not going to obtain any assistance whatsoever from Yamaguchi or Watanabe.
Having gone through his 73 years of life without a blemish to his character the pressure was now upon him at a time in his life that he can probably least cope with it, especially after enduring the extensive cancerous period suffered by his wife.
Arriving at the court to meet up with his lawyers the torment and stress was showing. His lawyers immediately informed him that Yamaguchi and Watanabe had not turned up at that time, but they were not expecting them to turn up at all, so the case would be heard in their absence.
The Court clerk called the case number, prompting the lawyers and Alessandro Santi to rise from the wooden benches outside the courtroom and proceed into the Court, closely followed by the deputy duty court lawyer and the prosecution lawyers.
“All Stand”, which was dutifully accommodated by everyone as the Judge entered the Court from the door leading to the chambers.
The prosecution lawyers commenced their report to the Judge, upon hearing same, the Judge called upon the deputy duty court lawyer appointed to represent both Yamaguchi and Watanabe. The deputy duty court lawyer explained to the Judge that the “Defendants” Yamaguchi and Watanabe had, once again, failed to attend the court for the hearing, whereby he had no additional evidence of information to offer the court.
The Judge then turned to the lawyers representing Alessandro Santi asking if they had any further evidence to add to the evidence already submitted to the court. No further evidence Your Honour, was the response.
Turning back to the prosecution lawyers the Judge requested them to give the fullest brief as to any developments that may have occurred since September 16th 2010. The prosecution explained that they had been involved with numerous communications with the lawyers of Alessandro Santi and that they were jointly of the opinion that Alessandro Santi was a victim of his own ignorance and naivety of the subject matter surrounding these Financial Instruments whereby the possibility of a plea bargain was currently being considered by the various lawyers as it was beyond any doubt by all persons concerned that Yamaguchi and Watanabe had deliberately avoided justice by jumping bail and returning to their native country, never to be seen or heard from again.
The prosecution lawyers pointed out to the Judge that the court could implement extradition proceedings if the court considered such action as a necessity, whereby both the lawyers for the prosecution and the defence would cooperate fully with the court on this issue. The prosecution lawyers further pointed out that the absence of Yamaguchi and Watanabe projected Alessandro Santi as the lone “Defendant” who would indeed have to carry the whole burden on his shoulders, which although applicable under the law seemed a little unjust under the circumstances.
The Judge, appearing to understand the predicament that all parties found themselves in, requested the Prosecution and the police to exercise whatever powers they had, without the need for extensive extradition proceedings, to bring Yamaguchi and Watanabe to court, and reiterated that should they not attend then they will be tried in their absence.
At that juncture and determining that there was a case to answer, the Judge set the Public Trail Date as being May 25th 2011.
Alessandro Santi, in one way relieved, but in another way disappointed knowing that he now had to endure a further 8 months of mental torture and visits to his lawyers before this whole issue had a resolve. Extremely angry with Yamaguchi and Watanabe, whom he no longer had any respect or trust for; and at the same time mentally brutalising himself for being such a fool and being taken in by all the “Sweet Talk” of Yamaguchi and Watanabe. Not only that, but he had become the “Fall Guy” for two very serious criminal persons who had shown no respect for him or the Italian Courts. He was completely on his own facing criminal charges, and a possible prison sentence, deriving from activities within an area of the Financial World in which he was completely naïve and had no knowledge of at all.
If anyone, at that moment in time, had felt that they had been plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, with little swimming ability, and told to find their own way back without any assistance or equipment, Alessandro Santi certainly felt it, and knew it, at that moment. At 73 years of age having to face this ordeal alone through the lies and deceit of two persons he trusted and whom he thought would help him refinance the ill-equipped hospital where his wife was miraculously cured of cancer.
It should be a warning to anyone else anywhere in the world who fail to implement a full due diligence on globetrotting persons brandishing “Special Financial Instruments” of this kind and with highly plausible stories about Investments, assisting the local community, personal wealth, but needing assistance to undertake such matters, both professionally and financially. Fairy Tales are best kept to books for children. Always consider the fact, very seriously, that if everything was genuine, and that includes the people involved, such people could openly walk into any bank anywhere in the world and the Bank Officers would ensure that they would have coffee and biscuits served, and probably a cigar as well. They would be treated with the greatest respect by the bank. Why therefore would Yamaguchi and Watanabe require others to assist them. The only reason is because they were not genuine at all and they were in possession of stolen property.
For the sake of reiterating myself, there is usually only one outcome when people become involved, whether coerced and innocently, or deliberately, in the higher echelons of the Financial World for which their knowledge is limited or non-existent, that being, “Go to Jail. Go Directly to Jail, Do not Pass Go, and Do Not Collect 200”.