“The fact that the prosecutor’s offices have also chosen to hear me – and they could not do it – makes me think that there is also the will to ascertain the truth in the shortest possible time”. The president of the Calabria Region said so, Roberto Occhiutointervening in the Regional Council on the story of the investigation, by the Catanzaro prosecutor, who sees him involved on charges of corruption. To open the discussion in the classroom was the intervention of the group leader of the Democratic Party, Domenico Bevacquawho recalled how the center -left opposition asked for information to Occhiuto on the matter.
“I had taken leave from the classroom because – the Ecchiuto began – today there is the president of Albania and on the agenda there are other institutional commitments but Mancuso (president of the assembly, editor’s note) informed me of this request and I decided to be here. I have never escaped any confrontation in the Council and I don’t want to do it on this occasion. A information on facts that are not known either to me is irritated but I explain the things I know. On June 6, the commander of the Guardia di Finanza calls me who tells me that he must notify me of an act, so I am substantially notified of a two -page act that were the request for the extension of investigations and so I discover I have been investigated for a year. I was not given to understand what the contested acts were. I am stunned, so I said I didn’t clear since at 56 years it is the first time that I was investigated and for crimes that not even remotely I may have accomplished. I try to understand what it is, I can’t. I avoid giving news immediately after a few days – continued the president of the Region – I rendeck it by asking to be felt as soon as possible by the magistrates, because those like me believed to have nothing to fear want the truth to be ascertained as soon as possible. Since I made that communication, I said that I would never talk to the press. Then I read in the local and national press those I deduced could be the disputed facts, and which concerned corporate relationships with a partner of mine: facts that I considered ordinary and typical as it happens in all Italian companies. Then in the face of a news tsunami I decided to tell my publicly ».
Occhiuto then explained: «I wait to be heard by the magistrates. The news is that my lawyers felt with the Prosecutor’s Offices, I am happy and grateful to the Prosecutor’s Office that I joined my request and to have agreed with my lawyers to be heard within the summer break – I hope within the first decade of July. The circumstance that the prosecutor’s offices have also chosen to feel – and they could not do it – makes me think that there is also on the part of the Prosecutor’s office the will to ascertain the truth in the shortest possible time. That’s what I hope. Then when I have more elements I am available to return to the regional council ».
After the information of Occhiuto there were several interventions from the opposition, with very serene tones. «We are not judges and – he said Antonio Lo Schiavo (mixed) – We cannot and we must not enter events that are independent of our institutional role. I believe, also with a very calm and balanced tone of President Occhiuto, that the discussion must end in these terms, does not compete with us to go further. A few concepts – added the slave – I want to reiterate it: no to an intermittent guarantee, the guarantee is valid for everyone, also for the other political part. I recommend to President Occhiuto not to make this story divisive ».
In turn, Davide TaverniseM5S group leader, observed: «We have all demonstrated a mature and respectful attitude of the institutions and the person of the president. For me, the goal is to beat Politically Occhiuto without resorting to any shortcut. I hope that President Occhiuto will come out clean from this affair because only his image is not injured but also that of the Region, which instead must demonstrate, beyond the political differences, which is governed by an honest political class “.
Second Domenico Bevacquagroup leader of the Democratic Party, “this debate confirms the seriousness of the opposition, its balance and its wisdom, respect for the Calabrians, and we did not want to exploit the story”.
In the end, Ferdinando LaghiDema group leader: «I have not signed the request for information of part of the minority forces because the story is still too indistinct, we need concrete facts and not of hypotheses or journalistic reconstructions. When the story has more clarity then we can return to the Council to discuss: until then – concluded Laghi – we must all operate together so that this regional council is the engine of development and not a clash ground on problems that do not concern the Calabrians “.