Naples finance police on Wednesday executed 69 arrest warrants in relation to a probe into the Zagaria faction of the infamous Casalesi clan of the Camorra mafia.
Politicians and entrepreneurs were among the people suspected and arrested.
They are accused of crimes including corruption, bid rigging
and external participation in mafia association, judicial
sources said.
Among those arrested were a Campania regional councillor,
Pasquale Sommese of the New Centre Right party, who is a former
Campania tourism chief; and Enrico De Cristofaro, mayor of
Aversa near Caserta northeast of Naples.
Also arrested were the former mayor of Pompei, Claudio
D'Alessio, and the former mayor of San Giorgio a Cremano,
Domenico Giorgiano.
Also among those arrested was the president of the Banco di
Napoli Foundation, Daniele Marrama.
Marrama, 43, has been placed under house arrest, judicial
sources said.
His involvement in the probe is linked to his professional
activity as a lecturer in administrative law and has no link
with the foundation, judicial sources said.
Also arrested was the recently named head of the Campi
Flegrei archeological park near Naples, Adele Campanelli.
Police said that those arrested, including local-government
administrators, public officials, businessmen, university
professors, accountants, engineers and 'wheeler-dealers', were
guilty of "very serious irregularities" concerning public
contracts in various provinces of Campania.
"There was a 'white-collar system' to steer tenders," said
police.
The Zagaria family is one of the chief components of the
Casalesi clan, which originates in Casal di Principe between
Naples and Caserta.
The Casalesis are among the most violent and powerful Camorra
clans.
They are notorious, among other things, for having gunned
down a leading anti-mafia priest in his church, Father Giuseppe
Diana, in 2004.
The power of the Casalesis, once one of the most dominant
Camorra clans, has been reduced by a string of trials.
Death threats pronounced in court by Caslesi bosses against
anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano in 2006 forced him into a
round-the-clock police protection programme.
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