The Palermo Prosecutor's Office has requested house arrest for 18 people as part of a broad investigation into corruption and rigged contracts.
The Carabinieri of the ROS (Special Operations Unit) have notified the suspects of their summons to appear before the preliminary investigations judge for preliminary questioning, a crucial step before the investigating judge decides on the measures requested.
To prevent the risk of tampering with evidence, prosecutors simultaneously ordered a series of searches. For MP Saverio Romano, the Prosecutor's Office specified that the request is subject to the guarantees set forth in Article 68 of the Constitution, which requires authorization to proceed from the Chamber of Deputies to which he belongs.
From DC's child prodigy to the new scandal
The political bond between Salvatore "Totò" Cuffaro and Saverio Romano extends back thirty years. Both grew up politically in the Christian Democrats under the tutelage of former minister Calogero Mannino, and they shared a long journey, from the regional secretary of the DC youth movement to the highest levels of government.
Cuffaro, former president of the Sicilian Region, and Romano, former Minister of Agriculture in the Berlusconi government, now find themselves caught in a new judicial storm. Their fate is now in the hands of the investigating judge, who will evaluate the evidence gathered by the prosecution and decide whether to proceed with precautionary measures.
Cuffaro's judicial past
This isn't Salvatore Cuffaro's first encounter with justice. After being sentenced to seven years for aggravated aiding and abetting, he served nearly five years in prison. Once his case was settled, thanks in part to a pardon and good behavior, Cuffaro dedicated himself to humanitarian missions in Burundi.
However, the lure of politics proved irresistible. In 2023, the Palermo Supervisory Court declared the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office extinguished, fully rehabilitating him and paving the way for him to return to the political scene at the helm of his party, the New DC.
The breakup and the separate ways
Despite their long-standing friendship, the two men's political partnership came to an abrupt end just a few months ago. A divorce marked by significant absences: Cuffaro didn't show up at the national festival of Noi Moderati, Romano's party, and Romano skipped the Friendship Festival organized by Cuffaro's New DC.
When asked why he was absent, the former minister responded with a curt "No comment," sealing a rift that many had deemed definitive, before this new investigation brought them together in the spotlight of the judicial news.
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The list of suspects
Below is the list of people for whom the Prosecutor's Office has requested the application of precautionary measures:
Antonio Abbonato, 53 years old
Ferdinando Aiello, 53 years old
Paolo Bordonaro, 59 years old
Alessandro Maria Caltagirone, 54 years old
Roberto Colletti, 66 years old
Salvatore Cuffaro, 67 years old
Maroco Damone, 51 years old
Giuseppa Di Mauro, 60 years old
Vito Fazzino, 43 years old
Antonio Iacono, 66 years old
Mauro Marchese, 65 years old
Sergio Mazzola, 61 years old
Carmelo Pace, 54 years old
Vito Raso, 62 years old
Francesco Saverio Romano, 61 years old
Paolo Emilio Russo, 62 years old
Giovanni Giuseppe Tomasino, 54 years old
Alessandro Vetro, 45 years old
Comments (1)
I find the whole situation very complex and difficult to follow. There are too many people involved in this affair, and it's unclear who is truly guilty or innocent. Justice must take its course.