The inspection ordered by the Ministry of the Interior of the Municipality of Bari triggers a harsh reaction from the mayor Antonio Decaro who speaks of an “act of war”, but the minister replies that access to the documents does not mean dissolution. Three months before the elections, the city council risks, due to suspicion of mafia infiltration, ending its natural life early based on the outcome of the work of the access commission appointed by the prefect of the cities. If it were to get to that point the vote would be postponed by up to 18 months.
The heartfelt defense of the mayor
The fight once morest illegal ovens for the feast of San Nicola, the complaints that led to the arrest of members of the clans, the concerts banned for the son of the boss “Savinuccio”, the neo-melodic singer Tommy Parisi. These are some of the activities once morest organized crime mentioned by the mayor in a press conference which ended in tears. «At 12pm two days ago I delivered a package with thirteen folders and thousands of pages. I was asked to know what the Municipality had done in recent years. Well, not even following 24 hours, I don’t think they have read these files, I received the phone call from the minister informing me of the arrival of the commission”. Decaro remembers being under guard especially for the Sedicina family (“for them Candlemas was the clan chief’s holiday, they blocked a block. We canceled it, it no longer exists. They are no longer in charge. They’ve done a lot to me colors”). He underlines that he has always been “close to market operators, accompanying them in their complaints and in getting out of the spiral of darkness and extortion of organized crime”. He makes a mention of the assignment of the kiosks to San Girolamo. «I know that those who participated were extorted. Even in that case I went to file a complaint.” Extortion was also made for the installation of the lights. «With my complaint regarding the “protection” for the Christmas tree I had some people arrested».
Piantedosi: from the Government war on the mafias, not on mayors
For his part, the number one of the Interior Ministry recalls that the Government’s act “became necessary” following the judicial investigation, which also sees the involvement of a municipal company totally controlled by the Municipality of Bari, but above all ” this inspection access is not necessarily prejudicially aimed at a dissolution”. Other large municipalities, it is recalled, also underwent inspections. Among these, that of Reggio Calabria, that of Rome, and lastly that of Foggia. «I understand the bitterness of the mayor of Bari – said the minister -. Since it took office, our Government has already dissolved 15 Municipalities, here we are only talking regarding the access commission. We have dissolved 15 municipalities mainly led by the centre-right. This government has declared war on the mafias, not on local administrators.”
How the Interior Ministry’s decision was born
The investigation which gave rise to the Interior Ministry’s decision to appoint an access commission to evaluate possible criminal infiltration into the municipal administration of Bari refers to an alleged connection between the mafia, politics and business and to the attempt to influence the vote last municipal elections (May 2019) won by the centre-left, which supported the outgoing mayor Antonio Decaro. The infiltrations would also have reached the Bari municipal transport company Amtab, which was subjected to judicial administration for a year.
The arrest of 130 people in February
Last February 26, the investigations of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate led to the registration of 130 people allegedly linked to the clans in the register of suspects and, in particular, to the house arrest of a municipal councilor elected with the centre-right (and then moved to the centre-left), Maria Carmen Lorusso, and her husband (in prison), the lawyer Giacomo Olivieri, former regional councilor. Olivieri would have been the driving force behind agreements with the Parisi, Montani and Strisciuglio mafia clans to get his wife elected thanks to vote buying. Both spouses did not answer the investigating judge’s questions following the arrests, but said they were ready to “clarify everything” once they had read the documents. In October 2022, therefore almost a year and a half ago, another municipal councilor of Bari, also elected from the centre-right (“Di Rella mayor” list), Francesca Ferri, was arrested and is now on trial with her partner Filippo Dentamaro and the former regional councilor (entrepreneur and president of Foggia football) Nicola Canonico for allegedly exchanging votes in that electoral round in Bari and in the nearby municipality of Valenzano. They are accused of criminal association aimed at electoral corruption for the Bari elections and of political-mafia electoral exchange in Valenzano.
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2024-03-21 12:28:13
