Battista Manis, the 52-year-old businessman from Terralba accused of killing Claudio Manca, the 49-year-old found dead last Friday with his damaged bike in a canal in the town, has proclaimed his innocence.
This was reported to ANSA by lawyer Antonio Pinna Spada of the Oristano Bar Association, who, along with his colleague Cristina Morrone, who traveled from Milan specifically to replace Ivano Chiesa, met with the man in Massama prison. "Manis is distressed and calm. We are awaiting the autopsy results before making any comment," the lawyer added.
After the validation hearing, Oristano investigating judge Federica Fulgheri confirmed the arrest for voluntary homicide and ordered the businessman to be held in prison.
The defense team's consultant, pathologist Danilo Fois, will participate in the postmortem examination scheduled for tomorrow—a CT scan will be performed this evening. He will be joined by the Olbia coroner, Domenico Nuvoli, appointed by Fabio Costa, the lawyer representing the victim's family.
A CT scan and autopsy will help determine whether Manis, as the Prosecutor's Office hypothesizes, killed Manca by first running him over with his car while the victim was riding his bicycle, then repeatedly beating him, and finally pushing the body into the canal, where it was found.
Manis, the owner of several tobacco shops in the area, had posted videos on social media accusing Manca (using a nickname) of being the perpetrator of an arson attack he had suffered a few days earlier. He had also illegally disposed of his electronic bracelet (also documented in a video posted on social media by Manis himself). The device had been applied to him in another case for stalking his daughter's ex-boyfriend.
(Unioneonline)