As part of the “Pandora” operation underway this morning between Catania and Palermo by the Carabinieri, among the recipients of the measures there is also Santi Rando, mayor of Tremestieri Etneo, accused of political-mafia electoral exchange and aggravated corruption and for whom precautionary custody in prison was ordered. The historic opposition councilor Mario Ronsisvalle is under house arrest. The vice president of the Sicilian Region Luca Sammartino has been suspended from public functions for a year.
The investigation
The investigation, coordinated by the Etna District Attorney’s Office and conducted by the soldiers of the investigative unit of the Catania provincial command from February 2018 to March 2021, was divided into complex technical and dynamic activities, carried out thanks to telephone, environmental and telematic interceptions and services of remote observation, further verified by declarations of justice collaborators and documentary acquisitions. The focus of the investigation is the administrative management of the municipality of Tremestieri Etneo and, in particular, agreements made between some of the people responsible for governing the entity and elements close to members of the Santapaola-Ercolano mafia gang. The framework of the accusations was reconstructed thanks also to the accusatory statements made by some collaborators of justice, already affiliated to the same family, in particular Silvio Corra, former manager of the Nizza group, and Salvatore Bonanno.
The figure of Pietro Alfio Cosentino, “man of trust”
Pietro Alfio Cosentino, recipient of precautionary custody in prison and representative of the Santapaola-Ercolano mafia clan in the Tremestieri Etneo area, would have worked to ensure compliance with precise electoral agreements preparatory to the election of the current mayor of Tremestieri Etneo Santi Rando. Throughout the entire investigation, the figure of Cosentino emerged alongside the mayor of Tremestieri, in whom he appeared to be the most trusted man and together with whom he appeared to be an “active figure” in the crime of political-mafia exchange votes, in relation to the administrative electoral consultations of 31 May 2015 and the subsequent run-off of 21 June 2015, together with the convicted criminals Vito Romeo and Francesco Santapaola, all mafia affiliates and top exponents of the Santapaola-Ercolano gang (as per the conviction sentences which have now become final ).
The “dissatisfaction” after Rando’s electoral victory
After Rando’s electoral victory, a series of judicial operations (and in particular those called “Kronos” and “Carthago2”) certified Francesco Santapaola and Vito Romeo’s membership of “Cosa Nostra Catanese”, also involving Alfio Romeo, a arrested for drug offences. These judicial events that occurred became, in the eyes of those who had benefited from electoral support, an “inconvenient preliminary ruling” for the fulfillment of the pre-electoral promises, which would therefore have been realized only for Cosentino, the only figure not reached by any precautionary measure, despite the declarations of the collaborator of justice Bonanno against him. The investigative findings have consequently attested to the strong discontent expressed by Romeo’s family unit, which remained highly dissatisfied as it was excluded from “utility” despite the electoral support provided and the promises made, while Cosentino, after having obtained the “settlement” working for his two children, was excluded from the electoral lists for the 2021 local elections, as he had become a “subject easily linked to the Santapaola-Ercolano mafia association”.
The “business degeneration” of the municipality of Tremestieri Etneo
Luca Rosario Sammartino, regional deputy at the time and current vice president of the Region, was the main political contact of the mayor Santi Rando. “Precisely with regard to the figure of Sammartino – the Carabinieri write – it was found that he was concerned about protecting himself from any investigative activities underway against him, excluding from the lists those with an odor of organized crime, of whom it would appear that made use of during the elections; he would also have worked to carry out surveillance and technical “reclamation” activities of the premises of his political secretariat by making use of active and retired Carabinieri personnel, also attempting to acquire information confidential regarding any pending criminal proceedings against him”.
The internal dynamics of the municipality
The internal dynamics linked to corruption would have seen in Rando and Giovanni Naccarato (manager of the public works directorate and of the territorial planning-urban planning directorate), as well as in Cosentino and Puccio Monaco (Architect and at the time of the facts consultant to the Mayor without charge) , the corrupt officials, who would have received money and other various benefits, almost always thanks to the constant and “professional” intermediation activity of the engineer Paolo Di Loreto, to grant permits and assign jobs to friendly entrepreneurs. In fact, among the recipients of the precautionary measure, there are also four entrepreneurs (one of whom has already died from natural causes) who emerged in the context of as many corruption events, in relation to which they would have benefited, in exchange for money and other benefits illicitly given to the public official, of the granting of municipal permits (authorisations to build and changes of intended use) and assignments of public works (renovation and maintenance of public buildings), even just promises, as in the case of the contract relating to the renovation of the local Carabinieri Barracks , then never occurred. Elements have been acquired which would seem to outline a strategy of the leaders of the municipality of Tremestieri Etneo aimed at neutralizing any form of political opposition, going so far as to favor the historic opposition councilor Mario Ronsisvalle, who then moved – also thanks to the intervention of Sammartino – right between Rando’s supporters for the 2021 local elections.
The “reduction of the number of pharmacies” for political favors
Specifically, Ronsisvalle, owner of a pharmacy in Tremestieri, would have been favored by reducing the number of pharmacies in the municipal organic plan, obtaining in exchange the promise of electoral support in view of the 2019 European elections for the candidate supported by Sammartino. As part of the same ordinance, the investigating judge reserved his decision against a soldier of the Army on active service, whose help Sammartino would have used, upon payment of sums of money, to carry out technical “reclamation” activities at the search for bugs in his offices. The soldier, therefore, will be subjected to interrogation, following which the investigating judge will evaluate the application of the interdictory measure of suspension from the exercise of a public office or service, as requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The names of the people receiving precautionary measures
Pre-trial detention in prison for:
1. COSENTINO Pietro Alfio known as “Piero”, born in Trecastagni (CT) on 16.8.1962;
2. RANDO Santi, born in Catania on 3.11.1975.
House arrest for:
1. DI LORETO Paolo, born in Catania on 4.7.1952;
2. MONACO Giuseppe, known as “Puccio” born in Catania on 2.3.1952;
3. NACCARATO Giovanni, born in Naples on 11.8.1966;
4. RONSISVALLE Mario, born in Catania on 6.1.1970.
Suspension, for a period of one year, from public offices held and from all related activities:
1. SAMMARTINO Luca Rosario Luigi, born in Catania on 21.2.1985;
2. PLATANIA Michele, born in Catania on 25.6.1968.
Prohibition, for a period of one year, from carrying out the respective business activities and from holding management offices of legal entities for:
1. CUCINOTTA Domenico, born in Catania on 22.9.1960;
2. FERLITO Giuseppe, born in Catania on 27.3.1960;
3. STANGANELLI Mario, born in Palagonia on 9.1.1966.
Tags: Mafia business Tremestieri Etna hiring favors promised exchange votes
