The Queen trial, contracts and alleged bribes: a flurry of acquittals on appeal

Naples - The appeal trial stemming from the "The Queen" investigation, which shed light on an alleged system of rigged tenders, corruption, and kickbacks in the Caserta area, has concluded with a series of acquittals and several dismissals. The purpose of the investigation, according to the prosecution, was to secure regional funding.

A judicial affair that had a strong impact in 2017, when the investigation led to the execution of 69 precautionary measures against as many suspects.

The Queen's sentence overturned

Among the most significant decisions made by the Naples Court of Appeal is that concerning engineer Guglielmo La Regina, sentenced in the first instance to seven years in prison for the sole crime of criminal conspiracy.

For the Queen, the judges declared the sentence issued by the Court of First Instance null and void, with the consequent annulment of the entire first-instance judgment.

"I am satisfied with the Court of Appeal's decision, which overturned the sentence and the entire first-instance trial," commented Marco Campora, the engineer's lawyer.

The acquittals

The appeal involved a total of ten defendants. The court acquitted, among others, former mayor of Aversa Domenico De Cristofaro, Alessandro Zagaria, and Raffaele Zoccolillo of charges of corruption involving acts contrary to official duties.

This decision further reduces, on a judicial level, the challenges raised in the complex investigation into procurement and the alleged mechanisms for the illicit management of public resources.

Crimes extinguished, no case to answer

For other defendants, however, the Court ruled that there was no case to answer due to the extinction of the crimes.

The measure concerns the former mayor of Alife Giuseppe Avecone, the former regional councilor Pasquale Sommese, Domenico Antonio Ranauro and Antonio Sommese.

The “The Queen” trial thus reaches a new judicial juncture, with a situation that, following the decisions of the Court of Appeal, includes numerous acquittals and positions defined for the extinction of the contested crimes.