Some hesitations, some confirmations and even several "I do not remember": the deposition given today before the judges of the first Assize Court of Naples by the first witness of the Prosecutor's Office called to testify in the context of the trial for the murder of Francesco Pio Maimone, the young 18-year-old aspiring pizza chef murdered for no reason on the night between March 19 and 20 on the Naples seafront while he was in the company of some friends.
The witness works in a chalet in Mergellina, near the site of the tragedy, and said he saw several details of the incident at the Flying Squad shortly after the incident.
Today, in room 115 of the New Palace of Justice of Napoli, almost a year after the murder, the anti-mafia prosecutor Antonella Fratello had to contest some issues to make the witness recall some details of the facts to which he was an eyewitness.
With his gaze fixed on the monitor where the defendants were connected via video conference from the prisons, the witness nevertheless confirmed that he saw a boy dressed in black shoot, but upwards and not towards the crowd.
However, it is important to remember that the forensic police found and recorded signs and effects of a gunshot fired at chest height in one of the cars parked near the place of the murder, like the one that killed Francesco Pio.
The story of the rescue operations was particularly moving, especially for Francesco Pio's family members present in the courtroom. The witness described hearing gunshots in the distance, while everyone was running away, and entering the kiosk where he worked, where he saw the boy dressed in black shooting.
He said he tried to help a frightened girl, offering her water, and that he wanted to do the same with Francesco, whom he knew well because he was often there in the evening. However, since they saw nothing, they thought he was just scared. Later they noticed a blood stain on the chest of his friend Carlo, who was no longer reacting.
Another eyewitness was expected to testify, but he did not show up. The Assize Court ordered that he be accompanied to the courtroom by the police on March 28. On the same day, at the request of the prosecutor, the inspectors of the Scientific Police will also be heard.
“Witnesses still frequent those areas, which are also frequented by individuals who come from certain backgrounds: there is a risk of intimidation but I believe in justice and I hope that everyone always tells the truth about what they saw”.
The lawyer said so Sergio Pisani, lawyer of the family of Francesco Pio Maimone, answering journalists' questions after the second hearing of the trial underway in Naples which sees the alleged murderer as the defendant, Francesco Pio Valda and a group of his relatives and friends.
"The context is problematic, we must understand that these are very serious facts, born in a criminal environment, and I think that all the witnesses who will be questioned will be affected by this context. These are tense moments and therefore we must be very precise in the reconstruction of events".
Article published on March 7, 2024 - 13pm
