“Emiliano asked Pisicchio to resign shortly before the arrest? What did he know?”: Renzi and Fi attack the president of Puglia

“Did Emiliano know about the Pisicchio case?”, “Did anyone among the investigators inform Emiliano?”, “How did Emiliano know about the investigation?”. These are the questions posed by Matteo Renzi and Forza Italia to the president of the Puglia region. A position that starts from a reconstruction in local newspapers according to which Alfonso Pisicchio, former commissioner of the Agency […]

“Emiliano knew about the Pisicchio case?“, “Someone among them investigators did he inform Emiliano?”, “How did Emiliano know about the investigation?”. They are the questions that are asked by Matteo Renzi and from Forza Italia to the president of Puglia region. A position that starts from a reconstruction of local newspapers according to which Alfonso Pisicchioformer commissioner of the Regional Innovation Agency who ended up under house arrest as part of an investigation for corruption And fraudon the morning of his arrest he had received a message from the governor telling him asked to resign. According to the same newspapers, it was Pisicchio himself who said it. The latter actually resigned before the order was notified to him, but it remains to be seen whether this is linked to the circumstance of Emiliano’s communication. It should also be noted that the fact that Pisicchio was under investigation has been known for 4 years (i.e. since he was searched in 2020). The question instead concerns the timing of the arrest. “From the news – says Renzi – it appears that President Emiliano was aware of one criminal investigation towards Pisicchio. And from what we read Emiliano suddenly said to Pisicchio: resign or I’ll kick you out. If the facts are true, it is a double scandal“. Italia Viva also asked that Emiliano be heard in Anti-mafia commission. “Using confidential information is a crime, is he under investigation?” you ask Maurice Gasparrigroup leader of Forza Italia. Mauro D’Attis – also a Berlusconi supporter, among those who asked for the access commission to Bari – talks about “a system of power in Bari where everything is allowed: using confidential information is a crime, but here it seems normal.”

Pisicchio’s abandonment of office a few hours before his arrest had already raised doubts and rumors about an alleged leak. The Prosecutor’s Office has not yet confirmed the opening of a specific case. After his resignation (a few weeks after his appointment) e immediate replacement with a regional manager, Pisicchio explained that he had preferred to leave because interested in another position toAcademy of Fine Arts. An explanation that had not convinced the political forces who had called into question Emiliano himself and also Pisicchio’s defense lawyer, Michele Laforgia (who is the mayoral candidate of a part of the centre-left a Bari).

The following day Emiliano had therefore specified that the appointment as commissioner of the Arts had been made after Pisicchio had assured him that “the investigations against him had been archived“. And then, not having had “factual confirmation to these assurances, in light of the 360-degree checks that the regional administration is carrying out on all possible situations judicially relevant” had proposed to the council to replace him. Indeed, that Pisicchio was investigated it was known since July 2020 when he had been subjected to a search. Then, nothing more was heard from her. The controversies and suspicions that also affected the lawyer Laforgia had led the criminal lawyer to give up the defensive assignment to avoid speculations on “alleged and non-existent” interferences between professional activity, political commitment and candidacy for mayor. And to clarify that “obviously I didn’t know and couldn’t know anything about the ordinance.”