At the first light of dawn, staff of the Flying Squad of the Bari Police Headquarters executed a precautionary custody order in prison, issued by the investigating judge at the Court of Bari, at the request of this District Anti-Mafia Directorate, against ten criminals from Bari who, on the evening of 18 September 2018, in the Madonnella district of Bari, via Cattaro, on the corner of via Dalmazia, made an attempt on the lives of two criminals.
With the necessary premise that these are investigations carried out in the preliminary investigation phase, which require subsequent procedural verification in the cross-examination with the defence, those arrested are liable, with the aggravating mafia charge, for the crimes of double attempted aggravated murder in complicity, detention and illegal possession of firearms, receiving stolen goods, slander and damage followed by fire.
In the summer of 2018, the fringe of the Strisciuglio clan from the San Paolo neighborhood attempted to conquer the thriving drug trafficking and dealing activity in the Madonnella neighborhood of Bari, trying to oust the Palermiti clan, which had always been dominant in that neighborhood.
On the evening of 18 September, the targets of the shooting were two criminals from the Japigia clan, who were traveling on the scooter: the armed commando, aboard a stolen car and three motor vehicles, opened fire, regardless of the presence of unaware citizens walking down the street.
The passenger of the scooter managed to escape the bullets fired from a Colt 38 special revolver and a 9 mm caliber CZ semi-automatic pistol, while the driver, hit in several parts of the body, after a delicate surgery and a long hospital stay, managed to save themselves.
Once the ambush was completed, one of the motorbikes used by the hitmen was set on fire on the Bitonto Palese provincial road, while false reports of theft were presented for the other motorbikes, belonging to members of the Strisciuglio clan, with the aim of hindering the investigations. .
The response of the Palermiti clan, for the ambush of 18 September, was not long in arriving: in fact, six days later, on 24 September, in the Carbonara district of Bari, Michele Walter Rafaschieri was murdered and his brother was seriously injured.
The people arrested today, aged between 25 and 47, have been placed in prison. Only one of the recipients of the provision was placed under house arrest.
It is important to underline that the proceeding is in the preliminary investigation phase and that, following the execution of today’s precautionary measure, there will be follow-up interrogation and discussion with the defense of the suspects, whose possible guilt, in relation to the crimes contested, will have to be ascertained during the trial, in the cross-examination between the parties.
