Two tax police officers and two consultants convicted for cleaning up Pascale Hospital and tax audits.

Naples – Five convictions, with sentences ranging from six years to eight years and two months in prison. This is the outcome of the trial concluded before the First Criminal Division of the Court of Naples, which combined two investigative strands: one related to tax audits and allegations of extortion, the other to extortion related to the contract for cleaning services at the Pascale Institute.

The highest sentence was handed down to Andrea Basile, found guilty of extortion and sentenced to eight years and two months. Also sentenced were two Guardia di Finanza inspectors, Antonio Gambardella and Antimo Di Donato, to seven years and six years and six months, respectively, and tax consultants Gennaro Valentino and Tommaso De Maria, both to six years.

The investigation and the two strands

The proceedings arose from an investigation coordinated by the Naples Public Prosecutor's Office, Henry John Woodcock, and conducted by the military of the Economic and Financial Police Unit of the Naples Guardia di Finanza.

The investigations focused on two distinct areas. The first involved a series of tax audits and several incidents of extortion; the second concerned pressure on a contractor in connection with the cleaning contract for the Naples cancer institute.
The men of the Naples Guardia di Finanza investigated the financial officers involved.

The sentences of the financiers

Among the defendants in the tax audit case were Antimo Di Donato and Antonio Gambardella. At the time of the events, both were serving in the Naples Tax Police Unit and had already been suspended from duty. Di Donato is currently on leave.

The court sentenced Gambardella to seven years in prison and Di Donato to six years and six months. The statute of limitations has expired for other charges against them.

In the same case, Gennaro Valentino and Tommaso De Maria, tax advisors for companies audited, were convicted. Both were found guilty of conspiracy to commit extortion and received six years in prison.

The request for 40 thousand euros

The other strand of the trial concerns the contract for cleaning the Pascale Institute. In this segment, Andrea Basile was found guilty of extortion and sentenced to eight years and two months.
According to the charges reported in the proceedings, Basile, together with Giuseppe Sacco, allegedly forced an entrepreneur to promise to pay 40 euros, of which 20 were actually delivered, in addition to hiring a person.

The pressure was allegedly applied by also suggesting the intervention of the Cimmino clan from Vomero. The reference to this criminal group is therefore part of the reconstruction of the contested threats: based on the available information, it does not amount to confirmation of their actual involvement in the affair.

In addition to the prison sentences, the Court ordered a lifelong ban from holding public office and a legal ban during the execution of the sentence.

The statute of limitations was also declared for the respective charges brought against Domenico Bisogni and Massimo Trucco. The judges, however, declared that the case against Giuseppe Sacco was dismissed due to the defendant's death.