The corrupt agreement between Customs officials serving in the port of Salerno and companies was widespread, to the point that the documents to give the green light to the load were filled out in advance and without checks. This is what emerges from a wiretap in which an official tells what happened to him to the employee of one of these companies.
Since the early hours of the morning, over 250 soldiers from the Guardia di Finanza of Salerno, supported by 17 customs officials, by order of the local Public Prosecutor's Office, have been executing, in the provinces of Salerno, Avellino, Caserta and Naples, a personal custody order issued by the GIP of the Court of Salerno, against 69 individuals deemed responsible, to varying degrees, for multiple crimes committed in the port area of Salerno. The measure - as reported in the press release of the provincial command of Salerno of the Guardia di Finanza - concerns customs officials, health personnel, freight forwarders, employees of companies operating in the port of Salerno, investigated to varying degrees, in competition, for hypotheses of embezzlement, corruption, personal aiding and abetting, forgery, illicit influence peddling, unauthorized access to computer systems, receiving stolen goods, smuggling and international waste trafficking.
“The Finance Police stopped me…they checked me. Not even the dogs…I was the one holding the papers of the report, in the back, no…think if they saw the report that, made at half past five, and…it was ten past five and we were there…”, says the first, while the second laughs. Even the images captured by the investigators’ spy cameras clearly show how the containers in the port were opened to take goods to distribute in order to ‘oil’ the mechanism created. The intercepted suspects did not always speak in a cryptic manner. One on the phone says: “I have seventy patane (potatoes, in Neapolitan, ed.) ready. I’ll take them and bring them to you…and I’ll even give you the wad of money…I don’t have the problem”.
In another, an official specifies: “I’m leaving at three now, I’m going to do the loading and… then I’ll see you at home later”. A conversation between an official and an employee of a shipping company sees the former informing who and when will do the inspection. “”Ida, excuse me, then Pasquale and I will come; have him do the whole report already, as well as the bills… and then we’ll come, I’ll just put the assignment number and the protocol number of the A77, we’ll finish, print and leave, because I have a lot of things to do”, announces the official. and the woman replies: “… and it’s getting late. Don’t worry!”. Again, in a conversation between an official and his wife, the woman makes a specific request: “So, is 'Meloni' anything more?”; and he explains to her: “Eh… 'Meloni' doesn’t always happen! Then, it doesn't necessarily mean a visit to 'Meloni'... what can I do... I brought you the 5 microfiber cloths though...". In a customs office, the cameras catch a three-way conversation.
“A glue for the SVA… please… pink slippers… pink toilet brush with shovel… I also have two pairs of scissors, but I don’t know who to give them to! Take some glue Giova!”, says a company employee to two officials sitting at their desks. A port worker is filmed holding a black garbage bag with grapes inside. “Oh Enzo, have you already opened the grapes?”, a colleague calls out to him; “Well… in a quarter of an hour, 20 minutes,” is the reply; “The area manager has a drop in blood sugar,” insists the other; “There’s no problem… ok!”, assures the second. A customs official then places the bag with the grapes inside in the trunk of a scooter. “Listen, do you want some white grapes without seeds? White grapes or not?”, he asks his wife. “Listen, sugary grapes… not for me…”, the woman prevaricates. “No, because I don’t like it,” he recalls. “I don’t know if you want to get some for Mom… Mom likes it,” his wife adds. “But I’ll bring you just one package,” the man promises. A forwarder then calls an official. “Oh Enzo, listen to me for a moment, my area manager is here but can you get us some grapes?”, the latter asks. “How many packages? …5/6 packages?”, asks the forwarder. “A taste,” says the first. “Okay, okay, okay,” the reply.
Article published on May 5, 2020 - 10:48 pm
