The deputy prosecutors of Nuoro, Riccardo Belfiori, Andrea Jacopo Ghironi and Selene Desole have asked the Gup of the Court of Nuoro, Giovanni Angelicchio, to sentence Roberta Barabino to 7 years and 6 months and her husband Antonio Francesco Coinu to 4 years and 6 months . The charges are serious: embezzlement and self-laundering for Barabino, money laundering in two episodes for Coinu.
According to the prosecution, Barabino – a support administrator appointed by the Court – took advantage of her position to steal large sums of money from elderly and frail individuals entrusted to her care. In this part of the investigation, there are seven victims, for a total damage and undue withdrawals from their accounts that is close to 540 thousand euros. Overall, over 1,300 crimes are contested.
The sums unduly withdrawn – according to the reconstruction of the Prosecutor's Office – were used for the purchase of real estate and the renovation of properties, personal purchases, such as children's clothes, dental care or fast food dinners.
The defendants, defended by lawyers Gianluca Sannio and Antonio Secci, will also have to answer for these suspicious financial movements. The civil parties are represented by lawyers Nazarena Tilocca, Chiara Soro, Oliviero Denti and Caterina Sanna. In June, the defense will take place, while the sentence is expected in July.
Today's hearing was also held with an abbreviated procedure. This is not the first conviction for Barabino: a month ago, the Gup Giovanni Angelicchio sentenced her to 5 years of imprisonment for the same crimes - embezzlement and self-laundering - in another proceeding involving six clients and approximately 170 thousand euros stolen. The sentence is added to a previous sentence of 7 years and 8 months.
If the prosecution's requests are accepted, the overall sentence against Roberta Barabino will exceed 20 years of imprisonment. In addition, a new line of investigation will arrive in June before Gup Alessandra Ponti, with charges related to the deception of 13 other clients.