Partinico (PA): 8 arrested and 3 banned from holding public offices for corruption

At the first light of dawn on April 11, the Carabinieri of the Partinico Company carried out the execution an order of precautionary measures, issued by the Judge for Preliminary Investigations of the Court of Palermo, at the request of the Public Prosecutor's Office, against 11 investigated (3 precautionary custody in prison, 5 house arrest and 3 suspension from public office or service), accused in various capacities for criminal association, disturbed freedom of auctions, corruption for the exercise of the function, corruption for an act contrary to official duties and embezzlement.

The investigation outlined the existence of a criminal conspiracy to commit crimes against the public administration, made up of four people at the top of a social and health services cooperative based in Partinico.

Through the cooperative, the four members, they would have approached public officials, seven among managers or officials of the Sicilian municipalities of Partinico, Balestrate, Marsala, San Cataldo, Agrigento, of the Metropolitan City of Palermo, as well as a former Mayor of Partinico (at the time of the facts without roles in the public administration), who would have corrupted through cash donations, gifts and dinners offered in well-known restaurants.

Furthermore, there would have been numerous hirings by the cooperative of people indicated by public officials. The objective would have been to speed up payments and settlements by local authorities towards the cooperative win expensive contracts for public services relating to social-welfare activities, such as home care for the disabled and elderly, the transport of disabled people to school or healthcare institutions, educational services for minors such as nurseries and summer recreational centres.

The issue of a was also detected invoice for the remuneration of services never provided of approximately 30.000 euros by the cooperative, then paid for by the public body.

Among the various acquisitions, the investigators would have identified in a well-known and characteristic village near Partinico, the usual meeting place between the top management of the cooperative and some of the compliant public officials, where the mutual illicit ties would have been strengthened.

The Judge for Preliminary Investigations simultaneously ordered the preventive seizure of a sum of over 50.000 euros, of some jewels and of the cooperative itself, which has an annual turnover of approximately 13.000.000 euros and over 1250 employees.