«You defend yourself in the proceedings, not from the proceedings. The president of the Calabria Region, Roberto Occhiuto, should know this fundamental rule of the rule of law and respect it. The statements he made on a request for indictment against him are serious and inappropriate, especially given the institutional position he holds.”
The Calabria Democratic Party stated this in a note. «The Democratic Party does not enter into the merits of the proceedings and – specifies the Calabria Democratic Party – respects the presumption of innocence. However, defining the Prosecutor’s protests as “petty” and using social media to give the image of judicial persecution is a clear attempt to influence public opinion and create a climate that does not help the work of magistrates at all. Occhiuto should remain silent on the matter and assert his reasons in the appropriate forums, like any other citizen.”
«It is then intolerable – we observe in the same note – the double political morality of Occhiuto and the centre-right, who are guaranteed when the investigations concern their own exponents and hardened justice activists if they attack their opponents. Occhiuto claims for himself all the constitutional guarantees, which no one denies him, but with his side he too often invokes summary trials against others. Justice cannot be bent to political convenience.” “The President of the Region must stop acting like a victim and show respect for the judiciary, for the institutions and – concludes the Calabria Democratic Party – for the Calabrian citizens”.