The trial resulting from the investigation that brought to light alleged drug trafficking in the Fondo Fucile district of Messina ended with seven convictions and four acquittals. Involved in this procedural line were nurses from the university hospital, 118 operators and other defendants accused, in various capacities, of appropriation of healthcare facilities, false certificates relating to Covid swabs and drug crimes.
The sentence was issued by the Court of Messina, presided over by Maria Eugenia Grimaldi.
The sentences
The Court sentenced Michael Soldino to six years’ imprisonment. Umberto Suraci was sentenced to two years and four months.
Damiano Cosimo Spagnolo, Francesca Galli, Erika Spagnolo, Giuseppe Spagnolo and Emanuele Milazzo were also sentenced to two years in prison each. For the latter the panel ordered the conditional suspension of the sentence and non-mention, recognizing the generic mitigating circumstances.
The acquittals
Acquitted with the formula “because the fact does not exist” Fabio Venuti, Antonino Andreacchio, Alessandro Coco and Giuseppe Greco.
According to the prosecution’s approach, some of the defendants would have appropriated health facilities supplied to public facilities, while others would have benefited from medical certifications in which the execution of Covid swabs with negative results was falsely certified, tests which, according to the accusation, would never have been carried out. Only two defendants were charged with crimes directly linked to drug trafficking.
The defenders
The lawyers Giulia Mannuccia, Giovanni Mannuccia, Antonello Scordo, Pietro Venuti, Fabrizio Formica, Alessandro Billè, Salvatore Giannone and Giuseppe Germanà Bozza were involved in the proceedings.