The Monte Nuovo investigation by the Cagliari district anti-mafia directorate conducted by the ROS carabinieri has ended, which in September 2023 had led 13 people to prison and 18 to house arrest, dismantling an alleged criminal group which included, among others, white collar workers and historical exponents of Barbagia crime. The public prosecutor Emenuele Secci, despite the ruling of the Review Court which had excluded the mafia and secret associations, confirmed the two most serious charges.
The mafia and secret association has also been hypothesized against the rector of Sassari and mayoral candidate for the centre-right Gavino Mariotti , accused of being a promoter and organizer together with the doctor Tomaso Cocco (head of Binaghi pain therapy transferred to Marino), Nicolò Cossu ( known Cioccolato and considered the ringleader), Tonino Crissantu, the former regional councilor for Agriculture Gabriella Murgia, Battista Mele, Giovanni Mercurio, Giuseppe Antonio Mesina and Paolo Murgia.
Rector Mariotti, when asked, said: «I haven't received anything yet. At the time I handed over to the police all the documentation that had been requested of me. I'm speechless."
Charges for minor crimes remain against: Alessandro Arca, Vincenzo Deidda, Giuseppe Paolo Frongia, Anna Gioi, Raffaele Gioi, Salvatore Gioi, Marco Lai, Tomas Littarru, Antonio Marteddu, Riccardo Mercuriu, Serafino Monni, Marco Muntoni, Antonio Michele Pinna, Paolo Sale, Marco Zanardi, Vito Maurizio Cossu, Andrea Daga, Alessia Deidda, Alice Deidda, Antonio Fadda, Mario Antonio Floris, Desiderio Mulas, Alessandro Rocca.
To these are added, bringing the number of suspects to 34, Giorgio Carboni (at the time of the events health director of the ATS and now general director of the ASL of Medio Campidano) and Massimo Temussi (former commissioner of the ATS), not the recipient of a precautionary measure but already under investigation since September: the DDA disputes the hypothesis of abuse of office and disclosure of official secrets against them - as well as against Tomaso Cocco.
According to the Anti-Mafia magistrates in Sardinia, a mafia-type criminal association had been formed operating in Cagliari, Barbagia and the rest of the island which, making use of the force of intimidation and the consequent silence, committed a series of crimes of embezzlement, abuse of office, corruption of public officials and drug crimes.
Some are also accused of having helped the former Scarlet Pimpernel of Sardinian banditry, Graziano Mesina, to remain at large after his final sentence of 30 years in prison, dating back to 2020, for drugs.