The Court of Appeal of Catanzaro has the former vice-president of the Lamezia Terme city council Giuseppe Paladino was sentenced to four years and seven months in prison. The accusation is that of external complicity in a mafia association since the former politician – according to the Catanzaro DDA which gave rise to the Crisalide investigation in the context of which he was indicted – would have provided a “concrete, specific, conscious and voluntary contribution” of a material and moral nature to the Cerra-Torcasio-Gualtieri gang.
The external competition is contested in competition with the father Giovanni Paladino, doctor and also a municipal councilor in years preceding those of his son. For the latter, on 29 September 2022 the Court of Cassation confirmed the four-year prison sentence.
For Giuseppe Paladino the trial process was different since in the first instance he had been sentenced to six years in prison. In the first appeal trial, the Court acquitted him on 16 December 2021. Subsequently, in February 2023, the Court of Cassation annulled the sentence and the trial returned to the Court of Appeal where, today, a new panel expressed its opinion.
Paladino was banned from holding public office for five years. The rulings for the civil parties were confirmed: the Lametina anti-racket Association, represented by the lawyer Carlo Carereand the Municipality of Lamezia Terme, represented by the lawyer Caterina Restuccia.
The Court also expressed its opinion on the position of Francesca Antonia De Biasedefended by the lawyer Aldo Ferraro, declaring that there was no need to proceed regarding the sale of marijuana that was alleged against her because the criminal action had already been carried out in another trial. The documents were sent to the public prosecutor of Lamezia Terme.