The line of investigation in Messina in the context of the massive seizure of over 15 million euros and two “gold buying” companies in Palermo, carried out in 2022 by the Guardia di Finanza for the investigation into the massive laundering of precious metals of illegal origin in the mafia district of Porta Nuova, ends with the full acquittal of all three defendants.
The single judge Antonella Crisafulli acquitted with the formula “because the fact does not exist” Giuseppe Costantino, professional gold operator and owner of Gold & Gold srl of Messina, Giuseppe Carollo and Rosalia Mosca, owners of “gold buying” shops in the province of Palermo. The Prosecutor’s Office had instead requested that the defendants be sentenced to 3 years and a fine of 50 thousand euros for Gold & Gold srl.
The three were accused of tax violations and the use of invoices for operations deemed “non-existent” was also contested, resulting in IRES and VAT evasion amounting to several million euros. In March 2023 the investigating judge of Messina Leanza) had ordered the preventive seizure of Gold & Gold srl, which was assisted by the lawyers Bonaventura Candido and Bruno Brunetto, for almost 14 and a half million euros. Costantino was instead assisted by the lawyer Daniela Chillè, Carollo and Mosca by his colleague Anna Aversa. “The satisfaction for this result – the lawyers declare in a note – is certainly maximum, but one cannot help but regret a seizure which has persisted unjustly for over three years and which has caused enormous material and moral damage to Gold & Gold srl, the defendants and their respective families”.