This morning, personnel from the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate, a branch of the Department of Public Security, executed a precautionary custody order issued by the GIP Office of the Court of Naples, at the request of the District Anti-Mafia Directorate, against 18 individuals.
All seriously accused, to varying degrees, of the crimes of: mafia-type political electoral exchange, attacks on the political rights of citizens, mafia-type association, corruption, external participation in mafia association, attempted extortion.
The precautionary measure was issued against, among others, the Mayor of the Municipality of Melito di Napoli, the President of the City Council and two other city councilors, the coordinator for Melito of the company responsible for the urban hygiene service, father of a city councilor already a candidate for mayor in the October 2021 elections.
The measure is the result of investigations carried out by the DIA of Naples and coordinated by the DDA starting from the information initially acquired on the interest of organized crime in interfering in the elections of the Mayor and in the renewal of the Municipal Council of Melito di Napoli.
The investigating judge considered that, at present, the investigations have revealed serious evidence of the existence of an agreement already for the first round of voting, which took place on 3 and 4 October 2021, between members of the organised crime group operating in that territory - the Amato Pagano clan - and some representatives of the coalition supporting the mayoral candidate Marrone Nunzio (the latter not under investigation).
Relations with the Amato Pagano clan in the 2021 elections
These would have accepted the promise, by the criminal organization's contacts, to procure for the coalition and for the mayoral candidate the votes of the clan members, of the subjects linked to it and of the residents of the popular district who were the recipients of pressure and intimidation, in exchange for the provision of sums of money and other benefits as well as the willingness to satisfy the interests or needs of the Camorra association.
All this by taking advantage of the intimidating power of the associative bond and the consequent condition of omertà deriving from the Camorra organization called the Amato Pagano clan, also through the identification of candidates for the position of municipal councilor of reference for the clan.
At this stage, even a candidate for the city council was prevented from exercising her political rights, forced, with serious threats, such as being removed from her home or having her business closed, to campaign not for herself but for a candidate from the opposing coalition favored by the clan.
The investigations revealed serious evidence that the representatives of the coalition supporting Mottola, in view of the run-off, were reviving the idea of reaching an agreement with the clan's representatives to support their candidate; already in the first round, in fact, the plan had been detected also by them to request support from the clan; this plan had been shelved due to the verified conclusion of an agreement in favor of the opposing coalition led by Marrone Nunzio.
Representatives of the coalition supporting Mottola, therefore, accepted the promise, by the representative of the Amato Pagano clan (who later died on January 23rd following a Camorra-style ambush), to procure, for the run-off, by making use of the intimidating power of the associative bond, the votes of the members of the clan, of the subjects linked to them and of the residents of the popular district who were the recipients of pressure and intimidation, in exchange for the provision to each of them of sums of money and other benefits including the placement or promise of jobs.
During the investigations, incidents of vote-buying of municipal councilors during the (second level) elections for the bodies of the Metropolitan City held on March 13, 2022 also emerged.
Furthermore, serious evidence has been identified of some extortion episodes carried out by members of the clan.
pre-trial detention in prison:
1. CHIARIELLO Salvatore, born in Naples on 07.08.1972;
2. CICCARELLI Rosario, born in Naples on 10.09.1982;
3. CUOZZO Antonio, born in Villaricca (NA) on 16.06.1997.;
4. DE LUCA Luciano, born in Naples on 09.10.1991;
5. DE STEFANO Antonio, born in Naples on 14.06.1997;
6. DELLA GAGGIA Francesco, born in Naples on 03.04.1980;
7. MARRONE Rocco, born in Aversa (CE) on 17.06.1984;
8. MARRONE Vincenzo, born in Melito di Napoli (NA) on 16.11.1965;
9. MARTINELLI Rosario, born in Naples on 14.10.1982;
10. MOTTOLA Luciano, born in Naples on 25.07.1984;
11. NAPOLETANO Edoardo, born in Naples on 04.12.1978;
12. ROSTAN Emilio, born in Melito di Napoli (NA) on 20.02.1947;
13. RUGGIERO Luigi, born in Mugnano di Napoli (NA) on 21.01.1986;
14. SIVIERO Francesco, born in Naples on 19.04.1987;
15. SIVIERO Giuseppe, born in Naples on 05.09.1988;
16. TUTINO Luigi, born in Naples on 12.12.1984;
house arrest precautionary custody:
1. ASCIONE Marco, born in Giugliano in Campania (NA) on 21.02.1963;
2. GRANDE Massimiliano, born in Melito di Napoli (NA) on 26.06.1972.
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