“The State Police, delegated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate of Palermo, carried out this morning a precautionary measure against 5 people held responsible for a series of repeated conduct of extortion and illicit competition with threats or violence, aggravated by the mafia and of having facilitated the mafia association called Cosa Nostra”.
This was announced by the Agrigento Police Headquarters.
“The investigations, conducted by the SCO, by the SISCO of Palermo and by the Mobile Teams of Agrigento and Palermo have made it possible to hypothesize – we read in the press release – the pervasive control and illicit management of agro-pastoral activities in the Girgento area of Santa Margherita del Belice , Montevago and Sambuca di Sicilia up to the border with Contessa Entellina (PA). The suspects, making use of the undisputed intimidating force deriving from being recognized as top exponents of the Santa Margherita di Belice mafia district, would have implemented incisive control over the agro-pastoral economy of the area as well as the related use of agricultural funds in the hinterland belicino”.
“In particular, several episodes were recorded in which the suspects, using the mafia method, forced the owners and managers of agricultural land – adds the Police Headquarters – to give up the availability of large areas of land to be used for illegal grazing of livestock , imposing the payment of negligible fees which, in some cases, were not even paid. The control of agricultural land would have translated, in some cases, also into a ban on carrying out collateral agricultural activities that would alter the free grazing of flocks, thus effectively imposing a stringent predominance over other people’s real estate, also functional to the maximization of profits deriving from the dairy production”.
“In this context, the absence of explicit threats was also sometimes recorded – writes the Police Headquarters – as the suspects were able to impose their will by resorting to silent intimidating attitudes, which was echoed by the ability to subjugate deriving from their recognized role crime as well as the multiple episodes of damage (fire, cutting of crops and theft of livestock) – committed by unknown persons – suffered over the years by the owners themselves who had decided, instead, to use the land for crops that would have limited the grazing of the flocks. In this context of rural crime, the investigations also made use of the declarative contribution of some victims who opposed the “control system” of the sector, also highlighting certain episodes in which, following the threshing carried out by the owners , the foodstuffs would have been unduly acquired and packaged by the suspects, without paying any compensation”.
“The depth of the subjects involved in the investigations has also highlighted moments of internal tension linked to the attempt to alter the balance of the “cartel” itself; conflicts always resolved in a logic of convenience and mutual protection of the territorial control mechanisms. Today’s provision, issued by the investigating judge of Palermo, is based – the note concludes – on the serious indications of guilt and on a circumstantial framework that emerged during the investigations, meaning that full criminal responsibility for the facts indicated will be ascertained during the trial ”.
