Oct 29 2008
Judge to rule in landmark Mafia extortion trial
Palermo — An Italian judge was on Wednesday due to rule in a landmark Mafia trial whether the municipality of Palermo and business associations, as well as Italy’s Interior Ministry may collectively act as plaintiff or claimant alongside 15 alleged victims of the Sicilian Mafia’s extortion racket. Mafia bosses Sandro and Salvatore Lo Piccolo are among 76 suspects standing trial for Mafia association. They include business people who paid the so-called ‘pizzo’ or ‘protection money’ to the Mafia and did not report their extortionists to police.
Judge Vittoria Anania will also decide on Wednesday whether to accept a request from Italy’s special anti-extortion commissioner, Giosue Marino, also to act as a plaintiff in the high-security trial.
Italy’s deputy Interior Minister, Alfredo Mantovano and the Province of Palermo’s security councillor, Pietro Alongi attended the first trial hearing, which took place last Friday.
“This is intended to send an important signal of support to members of the public including shop keepers and other business people who have had the courage to report their Mafia extortionists to the police,” the President of the Province of Palermo, Giovanni Avanti, stated last week.
Italy’s conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has on two occasions this month publicly vowed to uphold the rule of law and eradicate organised crime in the country.
Salvatore Lo Piccolo and his son Sandro were arrested last November as they attended a Mafia ’summit’ in a villa outside Palermo. They had featured on a list of Italy’s 30 ‘most wanted’ men.
Salvatore, in his 60s, had been on the run since 1998 and is believed to have been jailed Mafia ‘boss of bosses’ Bernardo Provenzano’s right-hand man.
Judge to rule in landmark Mafia extortion trial - 29 Oct. 2008 - AKI - This story was found at: http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.2648346283
