“ Italy is in the middle of a real democratic emergency. As time passes, instead of getting better it's getting worse”.

This is what Antonio Ingroia, prosecutor for the anti mafia district court of Palermo, claimed yesterday evening, while visiting Viterbo, during the event “Il Sal8 delle 6” organized by the provincial administration for the presentation of Ingroia's new book: “C'era una volta l'intercettazione” (Once upon a time there was lawful interception).

“ There is a democratic emergency – explains Ingroia – because key points contained in our Constitutional Paper are being attacked: the principle of judiciary autonomy, part of the ruling class wants to place it under political control; freedom of press, journalists and newspapers are continuously under the threat of sanctions, especially those who are not considered “friends”; the principle of equality between citizens is threatened by the introduction of a “brief trial”, whomever has the possibility to drag out a trial for years, in the end, is acquitted of his crimes only because time has run out”.

“What is being introduced, reflects the needs of a few people not of society as a whole, we're not really talking about a brief trial, it's more like the quick death of a trial. Actually it's trial euthanasia”. “We're in front of a labeling fraud – adds Ingroia – the use of reassuring language such as “ brief trial” denies citizens of the right to see trials end on the basis of judiciary facts, a declaration of “trial death” is going to substitute this democratic right.

Ingroia also says: “We all agree on the need to establish a maximum amount of time by which trials should end but, first, we have to put attorney's offices and courts in a position to work effectively. Judiciary offices – underlines Ingroia – are averagely 30 per cent short of staff. In some cases like Gela and Enna the shortage reaches 100 per cent. It's obvious how in situations such as these, which can be found throughout Italy, the goal is not to shorten trials but rather to smother them”.

According to Ingroia, in order to come out of the democratic emergency “ public opinion must mobilize, just as it mobilized during the Primavera of Palermo, when the people's consciences awakened to the rampant spread of mafia power”.

“The resolutions housed within the so – called ' decalogue of Reggio Calabria' , a ten point plan drawn up by the government to contrast criminal organizations is appreciable. Let's hope that such good intentions will soon translate into facts”.

“ We've been asking for the adoption of an anti-mafia code for ten years – adds the magistrate – It now seems like the government is going to introduce the code through a set of laws against organized crime. My judgement on this is positive as it is for the establishment of a national organized crime map and of an agency that deals with confiscated mafia assets, confiscated from the 'ndrangheta and all other criminal organizations”. However, Ingroia believes that such a program must, necessarily, “ be turned into a specific set of laws as soon as possible”.

“Ciancimino – adds the magistrate – is not a turncoat and he's not a justice collaborator. He is a simple declarant. Investigations conducted on his statements confirmed his reliability”.

Fonte: ViterboOggi, 30 gennaio 2010

italian version

Comments: