A dramatic turn of events in the case involving the well-known Neapolitan entrepreneur Salvatore D'Amelio. Yesterday afternoon, almost a year after his arrest, the owner of the giant "Minimal Couture" was completely free again. The third criminal section of the Court of Naples, presided over by Judge Primavera, accepted the request of his lawyers, Andrea Imperato and Salvatore Pane, ordering his release due to the subsequent attenuation of the needs for precautionary custody. D'Amelio had already been transferred to house arrest in recent months.
The investigation, launched in 2016 on the basis of a complaint from the Daniel Wellington company for the counterfeiting of registered trademark watches, has revealed a massive ring of counterfeiting and tax fraud with a total value of 8,4 million euros. The investigation, which started in Naples, has gradually expanded, involving 82 suspects, including entrepreneurs, accountants and front men. Among the prominent figures, in addition to D'Amelio, include members of the Festa del Mercato family.
Last January, a joint raid by the Guardia di Finanza and the Carabinieri led to the execution of 25 personal and real precautionary measures. The investigations revealed a complex system of laundering dirty money, reinvested in sectors ranging from clothing to catering, from transport to the management of a clinic specializing in the treatment of autism in Molise.
The alleged crimes include criminal association, receiving stolen goods, tax fraud, illegal possession and carrying of weapons. During the investigations, a violent episode was also reconstructed that took place at the Centro Direzionale in Naples: the wounding of Salvatore Cassese, stabbed 12 times following a failed deal related to the import of refrigerators from China.
Investigators from the Guardia di Finanza, in collaboration with the SCICO and the Carabinieri Investigative Unit, have turned the spotlight on a business group accused of laundering large sums of money through Italian and foreign companies. These funds allegedly derive from tax fraud, undue compensation and counterfeiting crimes.
The preliminary investigations judge ruled out the aggravating circumstance of Camorra alleged by the Prosecutor's Office, which had suggested links with the Contini clan. Among the main suspects are Antonio Festa, his son Gennaro and his nephew Anthony, as well as several professionals and fixers.
The illicit investments were accompanied by a marketing strategy on social networks, with images and messages aimed at a young audience, aimed at promoting new business lines and a lifestyle well above the income declared to the tax authorities.
Article published on 14 December 2024 - 07:32
It's incredible how such a complex case ends with a release, the laws sometimes don't seem to be clear. D'Amelio has had a strange luck, given the value of the frauds and all. Let's hope justice is done.