Sorrento - February 20, 2026, will mark the beginning of the criminal proceedings that will shine a spotlight on one of the most sensitive strands of the investigation that led to the City of Sorrento being placed under special administration: the "Sorrento System."
At the request of the Torre Annunziata Prosecutor's Office, led by prosecutor Nunzio Fragliasso with PM Giuliano Schioppi, the former mayor Massimo Coppola and his "staff" Francesco Di Maio will have to face immediate judgment.
This special procedure, which bypasses the preliminary hearing, is granted when prosecutors believe there is sufficient evidence, ensuring quicker access to the trial.
Arrested in flagrante for the "Dinner Bribe"
The trial, which will open in February, will focus on charges of undue inducement related to a specific payment: a €6.000 bribe received from school canteen entrepreneur Michele De Angelis.
The money was handed over on the evening of May 20th during a dinner in the hills of Casarlano. Immediately afterward, Coppola and Di Maio were arrested red-handed by the Guardia di Finanza (Full-time detectives) from Massa Lubrense and the Torre Annunziata group. They found €4.500 in the backpack of the former mayor (now under house arrest in Lazio) and the remaining €1.500 withheld by Di Maio.
The arrest, which landed them both in Poggioreale prison, caused a political earthquake: six days later, the mayor, the municipal council, and the city council resigned en masse, leaving the city in the hands of a prefectural commissioner.
The businessman De Angelis, whose position has been removed, is alleged to have already paid tens of thousands of euros in bribes to secure the school canteen and Benzoni nursery school contracts, as detailed in the warrant validating his arrest in May.
The canteen proceedings are just one piece of the puzzle. The Sorrento System investigation continues unabated, focusing on other alleged rigged contracts. Among these, the Prosecutor's Office is scrutinizing the work on the Ibsen Park and the supply of seats for the Tasso Theater.
For these strands, Coppola faces corruption charges along with Raffaele Guida, known as "Lello the Psychic." The two were arrested again in July, prominent figures among the 16 precautionary measures carried out in the middle of the summer, confirming the breadth of the investigation.
A crucial element for future developments is the former mayor's position. Between September 2nd and 17th, Coppola was interviewed by prosecutors four times: according to investigative sources, the former mayor is cooperating with justice. His statements could prove crucial in uncovering the entire network of alleged corruption and determining the final outcome of the investigation.
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