Finance Lieutenant Pasquale Striano, involved in the investigation by the Perugia Public Prosecutor's Office for alleged dossiers against politicians, entrepreneurs and VIPs, defends his position.
"I will answer before a judge, then you will see what happens. I carried out my work with dignity and absolute professionalism", he explained in an interview with Il Giornale, underlining that he used personal methods rather than bureaucratic ones.
Striano, together with the prosecutor Antonio Laudati, allegedly exploited the databases of the National Anti-Mafia Directorate to obtain confidential information on hundreds of people, stored in a diary updated until the end of 2022.
Striano comes from humble origins: born in Ercolano, he has a modest education and worked as a fisherman before joining the Guardia di Finanza. He studied in Bologna, then moved to Rome, where he bought a house in Ciampino with a mortgage in 1993, which he paid off in 1999.
After divorcing his first marriage, he remarried a woman his age, also from Ercolano, and in 2021 he bought a house on the Anzio seafront for around 100.000 euros.
Handling classified information can be very lucrative, but it comes with serious risks. Striano, with thirty years of experience behind him, is now accused by the Perugia chief prosecutor, Raffaele Cantone, of having committed probable crimes. The case is complicated: it is much more than a simple officer who peeks into databases, as former investigator Gioacchino Genchi claims.
Despite his apparent reserve, rumors circulate in the environment about Striano's passion for the Silf union, founded by him in 2019. His admiration for the so-called 'whistleblowers' and his contributions to articles related to militarism are also mentioned. His career has been characterized by constant observation and research for information, an aspect evident in his specialization in monitoring Suspicious Operations Reports when he worked at the Dia.
During his time at the DIA, Striano worked in the office of Colonel Omar Pace, who committed suicide in 2016. Pace was a key figure in the “Breakfast” investigation, which was later opposed by military leaders. Since his colleague’s death, Striano appears to have changed his attitude, according to sources within the department.
Cleto Iafrate, a soldier who has been fighting against suicides in uniform for years, criticizes the use of the term “illegal access” in relation to the Striano case, arguing that everything is monitored and tracked. Iafrate also draws attention to the previous conflicts between the Guardia di Finanza and Guido Crosetto, the former Undersecretary of Defense who in 2011 declared: “In this country I know that if someone says something about the GdF they risk paying for it”. These words today prove prophetic in light of recent events.
Article published on March 10, 2024 - 09pm
