THE DIREZIONE INVESTIGATIVA ANTIMAFIA CONFISCATED ASSETS WORTH 18 MILLION EUROS FROM THE HEIRS OF AN ENTREPRENEUR  IN CATANIA

The Direzione Investigativa Antimafia, a directorate of the Department of Public Security, carried out an order of confiscation issued by the court in Catania – Section Preventive Measures – against the heirs of an entrepreneur of Catania who died in 2018 and who operated in the field of municipal solid waste collection and was considered close to organized crime.

The Judge for Preventive Measures mostly confirmed the grounds leading to the seizure, which were based on the theses proposed by the investigators, highlighting the entrepreneur’s social dangerousness in the past and the ascertained close temporal correlation between the events when he had relations and did business with organized crime and the simultaneous acquisition of the huge corporate and real estate assets. Before his death, the assets confiscated, had already been transferred to his relatives.

In 2017, the entrepreneur was arrested within the operation called “Piazza Pulita”, coordinated by the Antimafia District Directorate in Catania because he was held responsible for attempted aggravated extortion, damage with the aggravating circumstance of the mafia method (Trigila clan), against a company managing the collection of waste in Noto (SR).

In 2018, he was once again arrested by the DIA in Catania, based on a pre-trial arrest order issued within operation “Gorgoni” – the operation was always coordinated by the District Directorate in Catania – being held responsible for participation in a mafia-type association, complicity for corruption, bid rigging and fictitious registration of assets, all crimes with the aggravating circumstance of the mafia method (Cappello Clan).

Both investigations clearly highlighted the marked profile of a typical “mafia entrepreneur”.

The Judge for Preliminary Investigation himself defined him as the “entrepreneurial face” of the Cappello, confirming that mafia has a chameleon approach, being able to use reliable and unsuspicious entrepreneurs to fulfil its goals.

The entrepreneur in Catania had been able to create and develop his business empire, closely cooperating with the clan. They had a mutual agreement based on the principle of mutual benefit: the entrepreneur received “protection” and was also able to obtain public contracts while the crime groups received economic support.

The relation between them had been so intimate that the entrepreneur, who knew the internal balance of powers and the way the group operated, could turn to the pro tempore boss (now subject to special detention regime under 41 bis OP), criticizing him for his attitude to surround himself with low -value affiliates and regretting previous   high -ranking figures.

The judicial authority, based on the evidence gathered as a result of complex investigations believed that the entrepreneur “has slowly become a top-level member of the “Cappello” clan based on his role and acting as an entrepreneur operating in the waste collection and management”.

The Court in Catania – Section Preventive Measures defined the business activity as a mafia business stating that “the business was set up and has slowly developed thanks to the constant support of the clan of reference. The support was such that on the on hand it proved the great intimidation power of the mafia-type group and on the other the participation of the crime group in the business profits”. The court in Catania ordered the confiscation of the assets that belonged to the deceased entrepreneur and that have never been part of the de cuius’ estate.

The assets linked to him had fictitiously been transferred to his relatives long before his death so to elude the potential preventive measure against him.

The asset-related checks carried out by the DIA investigators proved that there was a remarkable disproportion between the income declared by the entrepreneur and his relatives and the huge business empire accumulated over the years.

The income of his son in law ’s family income proved to be insufficient too. His son in law owned most of the assets subject to confiscation that were directly linked to the entrepreneur.

At present, through a purposely appointed judicial administrator, the court administrates the assets subject to confiscation: no. 2 companies operating in the field of waste disposal and management, several real estate assets, a motor vehicle as well as bank accounts and financial relations

The assets confiscated have a value of about 18,000,000.00 Euros.

Catania, 16 June 2023