“It is not true that I asked for and received gifts. I have always paid for what I have taken in these commercial activities”. This is how the former commander of the Monsampolo carabinieri Francesco De Palo defended himself in the trial against him which is proceeding before the court of Ascoli and is now approaching the final stages. In the trial, which concerns facts taking place between 2012 and 2014, two citizens of Chinese nationality, Naiqi Dong and Guohua Hu, are also accused, while a boy from Castel di Lama has plea bargained. Prosecutor Monti accused the military of having repeatedly asked for money and gifts from local merchants to turn a blind eye to administrative controls. The former commander De Palo, defended by the lawyer Indiveri, must answer for extortion, false ideology committed by a public official in official documents, disclosure and use of official secrets, omission of official documents. Attempted aiding and abetting illegal immigration a Chinese man is charged, while the other is accused of aiding and abetting; are defended by the lawyer Angelozzi. During the last hearing De Palo made a long interrogation during which he answered questions from the prosecutor, the judges of the College (Panichi, D’Ottavi, Proietti) and the defender. He went over the whole story making answers accompanied by a significant series of important details to prove his innocence. The former deputy commander of the Monsampolo carabinieri station Antonio Cianfrone was also involved in the affair, shot dead on 3 June 2020 while he was along the Spinetoli cycle path; for this reason the Board has already issued a sentence against him not to proceed. At the end of the second degree trial, the spouses Giuseppe Spagnulo and Francesca Angiulli were sentenced to life imprisonment for his premeditated murder, accused of being the murderers. Both are locked up in jail and profess their innocence. The story will certainly end up before the Court of Cassation following the publication of the reasons that led to the conviction in the second degree.
Pepe Ercoli
