BRINDISI – At the basis of everything there would be a debt of 11,250 euros: the victim admitted to having purchased cocaine “on consignment” for that sum. Having failed to pay the amount, she was allegedly threatened and even gave up two cars. For these events, on Saturday 29 June 2024, the agents of the Brindisi flying squad carried out a precautionary custody order, signed by the investigating judge of the Brindisi court, Vittorio Testi. The investigations, coordinated by prosecutor Luca Miceli, led NS (35 year old from Brindisi), GD (35 year old from Bitonto, Bari) and JL (33 year old born in Acquaviva delle Fonti and resident in Bari) to prison.
The crimes contested in this phase – the investigations are not yet closed – concern two distinct episodes. The first is a transfer of drugs, for sale. It is contested to the three suspects taken to prison and to the victim herself and is dated between May and June 2022, in any case in a period prior to September of that year. The two suspects from Bari allegedly sold, in Bitonto, to NS and the victim 250 grams of cocaine each, at the price of 45 euros per gram, for sale to third parties. On consignment, precisely. The debt must be paid later.
It is precisely the victim’s failure to settle the debt that would have led to the second type of crime: collusive extortion. GD and JL are considered by the investigators to be the moral competitors acting as instigators, while the Brindisi NS is the material competitor, mediator between the parties and bearer of most of the extortion requests. The victim says he gave the latter two cars, previously registered to family members, under threat, as well as the sum of 300 euros in cash. Everything would have started from an arrest of the victim.
In those conditions the victim is unable to pay. It is in this part of his story that the ordeal begins, which is expressed above all through threats by message, via an instant messaging application. There is also talk of armed men who came from Bitonto to Brindisi to look for the insolvent debtor, but the aggravating circumstance of the use of weapons is not contested because there is no evidence. Within a year he sold the two cars to NS, which would be turned over to the people of Bari. Eventually the victim will report the incident. And the flying squad agents will proceed with the necessary findings.
The validation interrogation of the three suspects will be held on Wednesday 3 July. Accompanied by their respective lawyers – NS is assisted by the lawyer Laura Beltrami -, in front of judge Testi, they will be able to provide their version of the facts and defend themselves from the accusations.
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