Succivo – Journalist Mario De Michele remains in prison. He was arrested on July 1st by the Carabinieri in Succivo, in the province of Caserta, on charges of extortion against the former mayor of Orta di Atella, Angelo Brancaccio.
The investigating judge of the Court of Naples North, Donata Di Sarno, validated the arrest and ordered his pre-trial detention in prison.
The arrest took place on Tuesday afternoon, when the military surprised De Michele inside a structure with a swimming pool immediately after receiving 5.000 euros in cash from Brancaccio.
According to the reconstruction of the North Naples Prosecutor's Office, led by deputy prosecutor Maria Carmen Quaranta, that sum would have been the result of an alleged blackmail: De Michele would have threatened the former mayor with the publication of compromising articles, even of a personal nature, to force him to pay.
During the validation interrogation, held in the prison of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, De Michele denied all charges. Assisted by his lawyer, Mario Griffo, he argued that the 5.000 euros were the payment for advertising services carried out by his site in favor of activities attributable to Brancaccio, in particular those related to sports facilities and swimming pools. No written contract, he explained, but a verbal agreement and a cash payment.
The Prosecutor's Office, however, supports a different version: the money was the price of silence requested by the journalist in order not to publish articles that were damaging to the reputation of the former mayor.
Griffo announced an appeal to the Review Court against the precautionary measure and anticipated the start of defensive investigations, focusing on the long personal relationship between De Michele and Brancaccio and the alleged unexpected complaint by the former administrator.
In the meantime, the investigations of the Carabinieri of Marcianise are also continuing, having seized the cell phones of both suspects. The analysis of the devices could provide useful elements to clarify the contours of a story that intertwines journalism, politics and alleged undue pressure.
And the situation of the journalist De Michele is very complex. It is not clear what really happened and the accusations are serious. I hope that the truth comes out as soon as possible to protect everyone.