The trial has begun before the Court of Bari for 15 of the more than 100 defendants involved in the ‘Codice Interno’ investigation, which has revealed alleged connections between local mafia, politics and city businesses. In the courtroom this morning, Ansa reports, the president of the Puglia Region, Michele Emiliano, and the mayor of Bari, Antonio Decaro, were also present.
The investigation, conducted by the DDA and the Bari Flying Squad, last February 26, led to 130 arrests, including former regional councilor Giacomo Olivieri, his wife and former city councilor Maria Carmen Lorusso and her father, oncologist Vito. The investigation also sanctioned the judicial administration of Amtab, the municipal transport company for alleged mafia infiltration, particularly in the management of hiring.
The immediate trial began today for the 15 defendants involved, while alternative procedures have been requested for more than 124 defendants. There are 109 people who have requested the abbreviated procedure (among them there is also Olivieri) and the hearing for them has yet to be set.
This morning’s hearing had a rapid interlocutory outcome: it was immediately postponed to July 16 at 2:30 p.m., because the president of the judging panel, Domenico Mascolo, filed a motion to abstain. At the next hearing, the trial will resume before a new panel, which will decide on the requests to join the civil action.
In the hearing, in addition to the Puglia Region and the Municipality of Bari, the Municipality of Altamura, Amtab, the Ministries of the Interior, Economy and Finance and Justice, as well as the FIGC, also presented the request to be constituted as civil parties. The investigation, in fact, also concerns the alleged agreements for the results of the matches between Corato and Fortis Altamura (Eccellenza championship) in the years 2017 and 2018.
“As always, the Puglia Region becomes a civil party in a trial for mafia crimes – declared the governor Michele Emiliano at the end of the hearing – The punctuality with which both the Municipality of Bari and the Region have been appearing for years in all trials is a sign of the determination with which even local institutions, alongside the offices of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, support the fight against criminal organizations. Through this path, the idea of the rejection of any type of proximity, collusion or even simply indifference towards the mafia phenomenon is spreading. This is a very important message, which is why I decided to come in person to constitute myself as a civil party in this trial that has a particular importance for the media coverage in these months preceding the elections“.
