Nine convictions and a single acquittal, these are the requests of prosecutor Saverio Sapia in the abbreviated trial arising from the Grecale investigation into the alleged wrongdoings in the management of the UMG animal facilities. In particular, Giuseppe Caparello (director of the Prevention department of the veterinary ASP) was requested to be sentenced to 5 years and 4 months in prison; Maria Caparello (daughter of Giuseppe Caparello), 2 years and 8 months; Luciano Conforto (ASP veterinary surgeon), one year; Luca Gallelli (member of the competition commission for admission to the specialization school in Pharmacology and Clinical Toxicology), 2 years and 4 months; Vincenzo Mollace (university professor, scientific manager of research projects in the offending animal facilities), one year and 4 months; Emilio Russo (experimenter and supervisor of the trials), 9 months; Pierfrancesco Tassone (scientific manager of research projects in animal facilities), 9 months; Daniele Torella (scientific manager of research projects in animal facilities), 2 years and 6 months; Domenico Voci (ASP veterinary surgeon), 9 months. Acquittal was requested for Vincenzo Musolino. Ten other suspects have already been sent to trial, the trial will begin on May 12.
The investigation hypothesizes the crimes of criminal association, corruption, forgery, aggravated fraud against the State, mistreatment and killing of animals. According to investigators, a real criminal association operated on the university campus for almost a decade. The former rector Giovambattista De Sarro would have been the one holding the ranks. He would have been the one to give instructions on the methods of carrying out research activities seriously harmful to the animals involved in the projects and on the methods of reporting the projects to hide the alleged wrongdoings.
