Camerota. The trial called “Kamaraton” has reached its conclusion with heavy sentences for former administrators, officials and professionals involved in a swirling scandal of corruption and malpractice. The first-instance sentence, issued on December 2, 2024, marked a significant chapter in the fight against the illicit management of public affairs in the small town of Cilento.
The investigation began in 2019, culminating with the execution of 12 precautionary measures on May 16 of the same year, which led to the arrest of key figures in the municipal administration under the mandate of Mayor Antonio Romano, from 2012 to 2017. Among the accused, well-known names stood out such as Antonio Troccoli, former mayor, and his son Ciro, along with others such as Michele Del Duca, Rosario Abate and Fernando Cammarano. The initial arrests also saw the temporary incarceration of the two former mayors in the Vallo prison, before their release.
The court imposed sentences ranging from 13 years and 5 months for Antonio Romano to 12 years and 10 months for Antonio Troccoli. Other members of the council also received significant sentences, with sentences ranging from 1 year and 8 months to 14 years and 10 days. The Prosecutor's Office, headed at the time by Antonio Ricci, painted a picture of an associative structure that operated to favor personal interests through the municipal apparatus, describing the management of the municipality as "A business for a few friends".
The charges detailed a system of favoritism and corruption where “regular receipts” were issued for rigged hiring and bids, favoring only a small circle of entrepreneurs and personnel linked to administrators. In exchange for these rigged bids, the entrepreneurs would pay bribes or provide benefits such as hiring, free work or privileged access to parking and moorings.
Among the other sentences, those of Ciro Troccoli (5 years and 6 months), Rosario Abate (14 years and 10 days), and Michele Del Duca (1 year and 8 months) stand out. Figures such as Antonio Ciociano, Fernando Cammarano, and Raffaella Di Bello also received severe sentences, with bans from public office ranging from 5 years to life.
Not all of the accused were convicted; a list of individuals including Francesco Fiore, Marco Francesco Di Luca, and many others were acquitted, demonstrating that justice tried to discern between the guilty and the innocent in this intricate web of wrongdoing.
The convicted defendants now have the opportunity to appeal, but today's ruling is a strong signal of how the justice system is trying to cleanse local institutions of endemic corruption.
Article published on 2 December 2024 - 20:41
The trial has had a conclusion that I hope will lead to an improvement in the management of public affairs. It is important that justice takes its course and that institutions are cleansed of misdeeds and corruption.