Mafia political electoral exchange, attacks on citizens' political rights, mafia-type association, corruption, external competition in mafia association, attempted extortion. These are the accusations, for various reasons, addressed to 18 people affected by a precautionary custody order issued by the Gip of the Naples court. Among the recipients are the mayor of the Municipality of Melito di Napoli, the president of the municipal council and two other councillors.
The provision is the result of investigations carried out by the Dia of Naples and coordinated by the Dda starting from the information initially acquired on the interest of organized crime in taking part in the mayoral elections and for the renewal of the city council of the town.
The investigating judge considered that, at present, serious indications emerged from the investigations of the existence of an agreement already for the first round of voting, which took place on 3 and 4 October 2021, between members of organized crime operating in that area - Amato Pagano clan - and some representatives of the coalition in support of the mayoral candidate Nunzio Marrone (the latter not being investigated) who allegedly accepted the promise, by the representatives of the criminal organization, to procure the votes of members of the clan for the coalition and for the mayoral candidate himself , of the subjects connected to it and of the residents of the popular district who are the recipients of pressure and intimidation, in exchange for sums of money and other benefits as well as the willingness to satisfy the interests or needs of the Camorra association.
"In this phase - reports Dia - the exercise of the political rights of a candidate for the city council would have even been prevented, forced, with serious threats, such as the expulsion from the home or the closure of the commercial exercise, to carry out an electoral campaign not for himself but for a candidate from the opposing coalition who is liked by the clan".
During the investigations, incidents of buying and selling votes of municipal councilors also emerged during the (second-level) elections for the bodies of the metropolitan city held on 13 March 2022. Serious indications were also identified regarding some extortion episodes in place by clan affiliates.
(Unioneonline/ss)
