Naples – Campania regional councilor Giovanni Zannini denied all charges when he was heard yesterday by the investigating judge of the Santa Maria Capua Vetere court, Daniela Vecchiarelli, as part of the investigation into his case for corruption, extortion, forgery, and fraud against the state. The hearing is part of the proceedings initiated by the Sammarinese prosecutor's office, led by Pierpaolo Bruni, which requested pre-trial detention for the Forza Italia representative.
Zannini, assisted by defense attorney Angelo Raucci and in the presence of prosecutor Giacomo Urbano, chose not to answer the judge's questions, instead filing two defense briefs on each charge and giving spontaneous statements for nearly two hours, referencing what had already been explained in the written documents.
The accusations related to the previous council term
The disputed facts date back to the previous regional council, when Zannini sat on the majority benches supporting the then Regional President Vincenzo De Luca and chaired the regional Environment Commission, considered strategic for the authorization process of numerous applications.
According to the prosecution, the councilor favored private interests in exchange for personal gain, exerting undue pressure on public officials, and contributing to the production of documentation deemed false, aimed at obtaining public funding.
The alleged corrupt pact and the yacht trip
Zannini specifically contested allegations of corruption related to his dealings with entrepreneurs Luigi and Paolo Griffo, father and son, who also appeared before the investigating judge. The prosecutor's office requested a ban on their residence in Campania.
At the heart of the indictment is an alleged agreement to facilitate the release of regional environmental documentation required to open a dairy. Investigators allege that the documentation was false and allowed the Griffos to obtain public funding exceeding €3 million, thus constituting the crime of fraud against the state.
The councilor denied any illicit agreement and also rejected the alleged "price" of the corruption, which investigators identified as a trip on a luxury yacht. Zannini maintained that he had duly paid the €7 requested for the excursion, specifying that he had been informed of the amount before departure and denying that it was a gift or consideration.
The Prosecutor's Office, on the other hand, believes that the payment was made only after Zannini learned of the investigation, in an attempt to protect himself.
Protests on extortion in the healthcare sector
The charges of extortion were also rejected, alleging that Zannini allegedly pressured the then general director of the Caserta local health authority, Enzo Iodice, in 2023 to secure the appointment of people close to him within the health authority.
Iodice resigned from his position, but the regional councilor denied ever having exerted pressure or made undue demands, further declaring that he had never discussed the matter with regional health director Antonio Postiglione, who was also under investigation. The prosecutor's office had requested a restraining order for Postiglione, which was later rejected by the investigating judge.
The expected decision
At the conclusion of the hearing, the investigating judge reserved his decision on the request for precautionary measures. A decision is expected in the coming days, after reviewing the defense briefs and statements made by the defendants.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It's strange that a regional councilor like Zannini is accused of corruption and extortion, yet he denies everything. I hope the truth comes out and justice is served. The situation is complicated and needs to be clarified.