It is the day of the guarantee interrogation for Flavio Stasi. The mayor of Corigliano-Rossano, under house arrest with an electronic bracelet as part of the “Ginestra” investigation, will be heard today by investigating judge Giacchetti. He will be assisted by the lawyer Mauro Mitidieri, from the Castrovillari court.
The passage before the judge comes after the operation of 28 October, conducted by the Carabinieri of the ROS and the Provincial Command of Cosenza under the coordination of the DDA of Catanzaro. The provision affected a total of 41 people, with 24 in prison and 17 under house arrest, as part of an investigation into the alleged activities of the Sibaritide gangs.
The accusatory hypothesis on the 2024 elections
The mayor is accused of the alleged political-mafia electoral exchange in relation to the administrative elections of June 2024, which concluded with his reconfirmation as leader of the city. According to the prosecution, Annibale Matalone, believed to be linked to the Rossoneri gang, committed to gathering votes in his favor through the mediation of Vincenzo Curia, in exchange for the promise of hiring for himself and his family members at the Municipality or in related bodies. The investigative reconstruction is based on the intercepted conversations between Matalone and the Curia and on the video surveillance images. In the dialogues, requests for work and the willingness to support Stasi’s candidacy are mentioned. The footage near the electoral committee documents a meeting between Curia and Matalone, while it does not show a meeting between the latter and the mayor. The hiring promises at the center of the accusatory hypothesis have not materialized. These are elements that are part of the framework on which the discussion with the defense will develop: the disputes remain to be ascertained in the proceedings.
The confrontation with the judge and the other interrogators
The interrogation will offer Stasi the opportunity to provide his version of events and respond to the objections. His lawyer announced the mayor’s intention to answer questions. On the same day, the interrogations of Santo Straface are also scheduled, assisted by the lawyer Gianluca Serravalle; Marcello Pepe, defended by the lawyer Pasquale Di Iacovo; Sandro Sibarelli, assisted by the lawyer Giuseppe Fioramante; and Antonio Mingrone, defended by the lawyer Francesco Nicoletti. In recent days, other suspects who have been subjected to precautionary measures have availed themselves of the right not to respond. A defensive choice that does not anticipate the outcome of the investigations nor constitutes an admission of responsibility.