Absurd chronicles of a sensational theft, the one now well known throughout the world of the Antonellian tables on the day of the feast of the Assumption of August. And possible judicial repercussions for classic “Sicilian things”.
The fact is this. The report from the regional Department of Cultural Heritage of which we reported exclusively in recent days, the central point of the administrative investigation, sent to the Regional Disciplinary Procedures Office for the measures against the custodians, who are now “4 + 4”, was apparently never sent to the Messina Prosecutor’s Office. Which is the investigative body that has been investigating for months the sensational, but not very organized, theft of Antonelli’s masterpieces from the August 15th holiday.
It was never sent. Absurd chronicles of a sensational theft.
Therefore, according to rumors, the chief prosecutor of Messina Antonio D’Amato has delegated his deputy to open a fact-finding file on this specific matter. Why? It is quite understandable: to ascertain why such an important administrative act, in which the entire dynamics of the theft is reconstructed especially through the “voices” of those directly involved, who are not the thieves but the four custodians on duty that evening, was not immediately transmitted to those who have been investigating since that day.
Why wasn’t that act broadcast? A simple “forgetfulness” or are there other reasons? The investigation will obviously answer these questions.
And there is another aspect, apparently, on which the main investigation of the Messina Prosecutor’s Office into the theft is focusing. Which is not linked to the concrete fact but to the so-called “chain of responsibilities” also on an accounting level, starting from the custodians up to the regional leaders of cultural heritage, for example on the measures adopted regarding safety in Sicilian museums or on savings policies for the presence of inspectors in the various cultural sites. In short, a blanket that was too short and which led to one of the most devastating thefts to have occurred in Italy in recent decades.
The “not transmitted” regional report, signed by the general director of cultural heritage Mario La Rocca, ascertained some important facts. For example, at the time of the theft the Accascina Museum in Messina had no perimeter alarm, which had been inexplicably disconnected, but only the volumetric alarm was active, which was correctly activated at 8.43pm when the thieves entered. In essence “… the thieves had the opportunity to operate without even the deterrent nuisance of the sound of the alarm”. The cameras in the control room recorded the thieves for an infinite amount of time (in these cases), i.e. for one minute and 32 seconds, and in the Polyptych room for a full minute and 6 seconds. But none of the four custodians on duty that evening were inside the control room. In the report, about ten pages, the position of each individual employee is examined on the basis of two parameters, that is, what emerges from their testimonies and what was actually found from the instruments and personal badges.
