The Collegiate Criminal Court of Lamezia Terme (President Silvestri, alongside Aracri and Marasco) acquitted all the defendants in the trial which saw several members of the Giampà clan on trial for aggravated extortion, pronouncing the full formula for each: “because the fact does not exist”. A decision which fully incorporates the arguments of the defence, who had insisted on the absolute non-existence of the serious accusations contested.
At the center of the trial were two alleged acts of extortion against an entrepreneur active in the hotel sector in Gizzeria. The preliminary investigation had seen almost all the justice collaborators from the Lamezia area parade before the College, as well as the carabinieri of the Lamezia Terme Investigation Unit, as well as the offended person himself, subjected to examination and cross-examination.
During today’s hearing, the Prosecutor’s Office filed numerous sentences relating to the gangs operating in the Lamezzo area and to previous judgments on the credibility of justice collaborators.
The Anti-Mafia District of Catanzaro therefore requested the sentencing of all the accused to 9 years and 4 months of imprisonment each, deeming the accusations fully proven on the basis of the convergent declarations of the collaborators and the alleged evidence offered by the offended person.
However, during the defense arguments, the lawyers radically contested this approach, underlining the total absence of suitable elements to corroborate the declarations of the entrepreneur, judged not to be credible, and underlining how the collaborators of justice had remained silent precisely on the key points of the accusatory system.
The acquittals
The Court therefore accepted the defense arguments, acquitting:
Rosa Giampà, defended by the lawyer Antonio Larussa (Lamezia Terme Court), on the charge of extortion aggravated by the mafia method and the facilitative purpose. The defense had highlighted the absolute lack of credibility of the offended person.
Pasqualina Bonaddio, defended by the lawyer Francesco Gambardella (Lamezia Terme Court)
Aldo Notarianni, assisted by lawyers Francesco Gambardella and Francesco Trasimeni (Catanzaro Court).
Giuseppina Giampà, defended by the lawyer Gregorio Viscomi (Catanzaro Court).
Giuseppe Notarianni and Carmen Bonafè, both defended by the lawyer Aldo Ferraro.
The lawyers Antonio Larussa and Aldo Ferraro, in their conclusions, highlighted the total absence of corroboration of the statements of the injured party and the absence of a real judgment of credibility, elements considered decisive by the Board.
At the end of the deliberation session, the Court pronounced the general acquittal of all the accused, sanctioning the collapse of the entire accusatory system: “the fact does not exist”.