The District Prosecutor’s Office of Catanzaro, responsible for crimes relating to illicit waste trafficking, has requested the indictment of 11 individuals and three companies regarding alleged crimes committed in the Eco Call composting plant in Vazzano, in the Vibonese area. The defendants are accused of criminal conspiracy aimed at illicit trafficking of waste and environmental pollution. The crimes allegedly lasted from March 2021 until March 13, 2024, the date on which the plant was seized.
The defendants
The investigation, initially coordinated by the Vibo Valentia Prosecutor’s Office, involves the entrepreneur and owner of Cosenza Calcio, Eugenio Guarascio, 72 years old, from Lamezia Terme, sole director of 4El Group srl; his sister Ortenzia Guarascio (61), sole director of Eco Call spa; Gianfranco Comito (68), from Vibo Valentia, as manager of the Environment sector of the Calabria Region; some Eco Call employees; Vincenzo De Matteis (53), employee of the Calabria Region – Integrated Waste Cycle Sector and two Arpacal officials, Nicola Anselmo Ocello (59) and Dario Giuliano (60).
The accusations
The request for indictment – signed by the deputy prosecutors Filomena Aliberti, Irene Crea and the Catanzaro prosecutor Salvatore Curcio – also concerns the companies Eco Call spa, Ecologia Oggi spa and 4El Group srl. For various reasons, the defendants are also charged with the crimes of false ideology, revelation of official secrets, and dangerous throwing of things.
The facility and the preliminary hearing
According to the accusation, the Vazzano plant was supposed to produce compost for agriculture but in reality it would have generated polluting waste containing plastic, glass and other substances which irremediably polluted agricultural land.
The preliminary hearing has been set for November 6th. The mayor of the municipality of Vazzano was declared the offended person.