The Court of Appeal of Florence declared inadmissible the request of Pietro Pala (originally from Orune, but having moved to the Peninsula some time before his arrest) who requested a review of the trial which led to his life sentence for the murder of the carabiniere Donato Fezzuoglio, killed during the intervention of a robbery carried out in Umbertide on 30 January 2006.
The judges considered that there is no new evidence capable of overturning the evidentiary results already acquired. Fezzuoglio's widow attended the reading of the decision in the courtroom. Formed as a civil party together with all the other family members and the Municipality of Umbertide. Represented by lawyers Nicola di Mario, Giancarlo Viti, Vittorio Betti and Stefania Bagnini. The lawyers expressed "satisfaction with the outcome of the review opinion".
«The first and second degree sentences», they underlined in a statement to Ansa, «were found to be based on arguments of solid and unexpected demonstrative capacity. The elements adduced in support of the request for review were not found to be suitable for influencing the complete and timely body of evidence."
Pala, convicted together with the former Scarlet Pimpernel of Ogliastra banditry, Raffaele Arzu, is currently detained in Sardinia. He has always declared himself innocent. His lawyer Gabriele Magno of the Bologna Court, president of the National Association of Victims of Judicial Errors, had said: «First of all I want to underline the act of heroism of the carabiniere Donato Fezzuoglio who, without hesitation, intervened in a shootout armed only with his pistol of ordinance.
«Having said this», he added, «Pietro Pala has always declared himself innocent and we believe we have useful elements to prove it». Lawyer Magno then highlighted the various elements brought to support the request for review, such as - in his opinion - the lack of more in-depth "checks" on other leads relating to the robbery and the fact that Pala and Arzu "never met seen, they didn't know each other." The Court of Appeal rejected the argument.
(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)