DIA: ARRESTED ENTREPRENEUR BELIEVED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH “COSA NOSTRA”

The Direzione Investigativa Antimafia carried out a pre-trial arrest order issued by the Court of Palermo, at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office-District Anti-Mafia Directorate in Palermo. The order decreed that a 58-year-old entrepreneur from Carini, believed to be a member of the local mafia family, comprising the San Lorenzo – Tommaso Natale mandamento, be remanded in prison.

The investigation, dubbed “Nemesi“, was conducted by the DIA Field Office of Palermo and lasted about two years. Thus, it was possible to gather, against the entrepreneur operating in the construction, logistics and catering sectors, serious hints of guilt regarding his membership in the illicit association. Among other things, the entrepreneur had taken part in meetings aimed at planning criminal activities, ensuring support for the mafia boss LO PICCOLO Salvatore during his hiding, collecting the proceeds from extortion activities, reinvesting and laundering them, guaranteeing continuous and constant covert contacts with the administration and offices of the municipality of Carini, thus enabling the criminal conspiracy to have its interests represented within that local authority.

In this respect, the findings of the investigations provided precise and convincing feedback to the statements – considered to be reliable – of cooperating witnesses previously believed to be important members of the Carini Mafia family . They all reported unanimously about the strong relationship of the entrepreneur with top-ranking members of the above-mentioned mafia mandamento of San Lorenzo – Tommaso Natale in Palermo and about his role as a link between the Mafia family and the Carini local administration.

Palermo, 10 April 2024.