They would have managed to launder large sums of money from the Palermo mafia clans thanks to compliant entrepreneurs and financial experts. Eleven people were arrested – six in prison and 5 under house arrest – at the end of an investigation by the DDA of Palermo and the Carabinieri of Trapani, which also led to 12 warrant notices and concerned historical figures of the Salemi mafia, faithful allies of the boss Matteo Messina Denaro. The suspects are variously charged with mafia, money laundering, auction rigging, fraudulent transfers of valuables and receiving stolen goods.
The recycling operation
A money laundering operation conducted thanks to compliant entrepreneurs and finance experts. To circumvent the anti-mafia legislation, the men of the mafia families loyal to the superboss made use of two Palermo entrepreneurs who acted as frontmen. The supermarkets where the money from crime ended up were registered in their names.
The Carabinieri of Palermo and Trapani discovered this as part of an investigation coordinated by the Palermo District Anti-Mafia Directorate. The investigation started from the traces left by the money of the fugitive boss Matteo Messina Denaro. The Salemi mafia family managed these affairs. Now 5 people have ended up in prison, another 6 under house arrest and a further 12 have received warnings. The arrests took place not only in Palermo and Trapani but also in Como.
The attempt to take over the supermarkets did not materialize
The investigation made it possible to acquire serious clues regarding the convergence of illicit interests of members of the Salemi mafia family consisting in the fictitious attribution to two Palermo entrepreneurs of the exclusive ownership of shares in a joint-stock company specifically established to evade the application of the asset prevention and facilitate the use of money derived from the crime of mafia association in the acquisition of numerous supermarkets of a well-known Italian large-scale retail trade company in the provinces of western Sicily. The acquisition did not materialize due to various business decisions made by the company.
According to the accusation, the tender for the management of the Favignana electricity network had been piloted to deliver the service to the gangs who also asked for protection money from the entrepreneurs who supplied the power plant with fuel.
All are accused of mafia association, corruption, bid rigging, fraudulent transfer of valuables, receiving stolen goods and self-laundering. But the investigation continues on the trail of the colluding or corrupt public officials
Tags: Messina Denaros shadow attempt supermarkets BlogSicilia
