The Palermo prosecutor's office has requested house arrest for 18 people—including former Sicilian Regional President Salvatore "Totò" Cuffaro and Noi Moderati MP Saverio Romano—charged with various charges of criminal conspiracy, bid-rigging, and corruption . The Carabinieri ROS (Special Operations Squad) have served them all with summonses to appear before the investigating judge for preliminary questioning.
Only after questioning will the investigating judge decide whether or not to grant the request for house arrest for Cuffaro and the others, and whether to request Parliament's authorization to proceed against Romano. Several suspects, including the former regional president, have also been served with a search warrant issued by prosecutors. Cuffaro and Romano are involved in an investigation by the prosecutor's office, led by Maurizio de Lucia, into rigged contracts. Several public officials and Vito Raso, the former governor's driver and confidant, are also implicated.
Cuffaro, now national president of the New DC party, was sentenced to seven years (the verdict became final in 2011) for aiding and abetting the mafia and was released from prison in 2015 after serving four and eleven months thanks to a one-year pardon for "non-preventative" crimes and the discount provided by early release for good behavior. Romano, accused of external involvement in mafia association, was acquitted in 2012 by the investigating judge on the old grounds of insufficient evidence.
"I learned from the press of a request from the Palermo prosecutor's office that concerns me: I know nothing about it and have not received any communication," Salvatore Romano stated. "In any case, I am absolutely calm and available, ready to clarify any doubts the magistrates may have, for whom I have the utmost respect and consideration."
(Unioneonline)
