BARI, 29 APR – For the former councilor of the Puglia Region, Alfonsino Pisicchio, the precautionary need is non-existent because there is no longer the danger that he could repeat crimes similar to those accused of him, as hypothesized by the investigating judge Ilaria Casu in the house arrest order notified on 10 April. Pisicchio’s defender, Salvatore D’Alusio, supported him today before the Court of Review of Bari to which he asked for the revocation of the precautionary measure. The defender insisted on the fact that the precautionary need is no longer relevant because the facts date back to over four years ago and because Pisicchio has no longer held positions in the public administration since he was ousted from the role of commissioner by governor Michele Emiliano extraordinary of the Arts, the regional Agency for technologies and innovation. The prosecutor instead insisted on maintaining the measure. The decision is expected by May 3. Pisicchio was arrested for corruption and disrupting the freedom of auctions in relation to the 5.5 million tender for the management of tax collection of the Municipality of Bari. The facts date back to January 2020. The tender – according to the prosecution – was piloted and in exchange Pisicchio and his brother Enzo (also under house arrest) obtained various benefits (money, hiring, promises of hiring and illicit financing for their party) for the intermediation work carried out in the illicit relationship between the entrepreneur who won the tender, Giovanni Riefoli, under house arrest, and other public officials under investigation, starting with the then municipal manager Francesco Catanese (also under house arrest). The removal of Pisicchio from office sparked heated political controversy and an investigation by the Bari Prosecutor’s Office for violation of the secrecy of the investigation. Especially for the messages that the former councilor received on the morning of April 10th from Emiliano who invited him to resign (“resign or I’ll kick you out”) after learning that the investigation against him had “gained momentum”. These messages, which Pisicchio spoke about before the investigating judge during the preliminary hearing, were also mentioned during today’s hearing. The timing of the alleged leak is singular. The investigating judge’s order was filed with the registry on 8 April (at 5.10 pm), received at the Prosecutor’s Office on 9 April and executed on the evening of the 10th, at a very unusual time, after Emiliano’s messages and Pisicchio’s resignation. The former councilor already before the investigating judge denied all the accusations: he reported the regular conduct of the tender, as Catanese said during the interrogation. (HANDLE).
