Marco Palumbo, father of Paolo, the 24-year-old chef from Oristano suffering from ALS for whose treatment a fundraiser deemed "deceptive" by the prosecution had been promoted, had collected 150 thousand euros which were supposed to support an experimental therapy that did not exist. For this reason he ended up on trial before the judge of the Court of Nuoro, Valentina Rostellato, on charges of continued fraud and impersonation. But yesterday the judge declared there was no place to proceed with the first accusation, which could only be prosecuted upon complaint. None of the three people who had reported, out of the thousands deceived and who had paid a sum of money, decided to continue. Therefore only the accusation of impersonation remains standing against Marco Palumbo: Paolo's father would have made the neurologist Vincenzo Mascia, who looked after the patient, believe that the Israeli doctor Dimitrios Karoussis would have included him in an experimental medical treatment for a fee and decidedly onerous. The request for a plea agreement has been brought forward for this charge.
Accusation escaped
The Court has already decided on the scam. Marco Palumbo, defended by Gianfranco Siuni and Mario Gusi, was initially accused of having started a crowdfunding collection on the GoFundMe platform and collected around 150 thousand euros on Post Pay in an account in his son's name. The money was supposed to be used for experimental treatments in Israel with the doctor Dimitrios Karoussis which would never have happened. The family, after the first doubts about the collection emerged, declared that they would return the money raised by the solidarity initiative. Of the thousands of people who had paid a fee, only three had reported it and were compensated. No one was in court yesterday to confirm their willingness to proceed. The investigation, which started from Oristano with the complaint from the neurologist Mascia who followed the patient, landed in Nuoro because the current account used for the donations had been opened in the Barbagia city.
Bluff on live TV
Paolo's father had made Mascia believe that the Israeli doctor would include his son in an experimental treatment. A genetic therapy worth a million euros. It was Marco Palumbo who opened the subscription, inducing several people to donate. The human story of Paolo Palumbo had gone around the world, for his presence at the Sanremo festival, and for having met the Pope, the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, but also for a face-to-face meeting with Barack Obama at the Expo.
Fabio Ledda
