CORIGLIANO-ROSSANO – «The Pinqua affair (National Program for the Quality of Living), the investigations, now underway and with the Guardia di Finanza in the Municipality to acquire the documents, will clarify how such a paradoxical result was reached. But it is right to ask what the two negative protagonists of the affair, Mayor Flavio Stasi and Tonino Caracciolo, can do today and in the immediate future. Above all, it is right to ask ourselves why they haven’t done it yet.” This is what the Coalition declared in a note in support of Pasqualina Straface.
«Stasi could, and indeed should, activate the self-protection actions that are available to the Municipality, with the revocation ex law of the administrative documents and in any case reach the termination of the contracts, tainted by the enormous disproportion between the two performances of the buyer and the seller. Because – they continue – once the news becomes public, the responsibilities extend to those who, if they can, fail to make amends. On the other hand, even Tonino Caracciolo cannot help but be absolutely aware that he is taking advantage of the situation to the detriment of the municipality and, therefore, of the community, with the collection of 104,000 euros for goods he himself paid for a few hundred euros. Such behavior is absolutely not good for any citizen, but even more so it is execrable for those who have held important public roles, even as Mayor of the City. One would expect from him a leap of dignity and the restitution of the sums received to the municipality, at the same time transforming the sale into an act of donation (considering, moreover, the small value of the goods). Will he be capable of that much? It would be convenient for both of them, for their protection and to avoid worse troubles.”
«Leaving things as they are, however, for Caracciolo – they continue – confirms the gathering of a shadow over decades of his political commitment and the start towards a decadent and sad twilight phase; and for Stasi the cynical depth of the character, giving life to the rumors that, as a result of the 2016 clash, an unscrupulous pact was stipulated between the two, made up of the exchange of favours, both obvious and hidden, to be given by activating the levers of power and public finances”.
“This is what the city needs to be freed from.”
«Pinqua is the acronym for National Program for the Quality of Living and is a financing line to Municipalities for urban regeneration. In Corigliano-Rossano, however – they explain – it took on another meaning: it is the nickname attributed to Tonino Caracciolo, renamed Tonino Pinqua, a long-time political figure and supporter of Mayor Stasi for five years. In truth the two in 2016, as evidenced by videos released on the internet, gave each other a thorough beating from the stages of the electoral campaign of the then Municipality of Rossano, as candidates for Mayor on opposing sides: for Caracciolo, Stasi was the descendant of a family of illegal building owners dedicated to crime that he had fought; for Stasi, however, Caracciolo was someone who lived on public benefits, an ace grabber of professional assignments from various bodies”.
“Not exactly an elegant political polemic!”
«What then happened – we read further on – to stifle such personal hatred, heal such serious offenses and even form an unbreakable partnership? Returning to the Pinquas, it happened that, as part of the intervention concerning the historic center of Rossano, the municipality proceeded with the purchase of properties to be renovated, to obtain homes to be assigned to the weaker social groups. In two cases the seller was himself, Tonino Caracciolo Pinqua. So what’s the problem? The problem exists and it is serious. It emerged clearly and unequivocally that the two properties were sold to the municipality for 104 thousand euros, a price 100 times higher than their real value. Once the story became public, the Municipality on one side and Caracciolo on the other basically just stammered a few disconnected and senseless sentences, remaining reticent and omitting any explanation.”
«Caracciolo must have been asked, or rather ordered, to stay aside in this electoral campaign, in which he left no trace. While someone, an exemplary citizen, has presented a substantial complaint to the competent authorities, the Criminal Prosecutor’s Office and the Court of Auditors, who however have their time to proceed” they conclude.
