Italian Parliament Member Allegedly Attempted to Sell Confidential Mafia Files
Matteo Messina Denaro, the notorious mafia boss in Italy, has recently made news for a different reason. It's not about his illegal activities involving gambling, murder, or drug trafficking. Instead, it's about two individuals who allegedly attempted to sell top-secret documents related to him.
Anti-mafia police arrested Giorgio Randazzo, a local politician in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily, and police officer Luigi Pirollo on Thursday. Randazzo and Pirollo are accused of planning to sell confidential information about Denaro's arrest to the highest bidder for a hefty sum. They allegedly connected with "the king of the paparazzi," Fabrizio Corona, as a potential buyer.
The authorities suspect that the two politicians wanted to sell hundreds of classified files which they had secretly downloaded from a Carabinieri server. Corona, in turn, is said to have forwarded these files to another person, believed to be the head of the Italian online magazine "Mow" - Moreno Pisto. The magazine describes itself as "provocative" and "unsettling."
Pirollo, who is believed to have stolen the files from the government server, faces charges of improper access to a public computer system and breach of official secrets. Meanwhile, Randazzo is facing an accusation of receiving stolen goods and trading government secrets.
Both Randazzo and Pirollo were arrested under orders of the Palermo public prosecutor. They are currently under house arrest while investigations continue. Corona, who could also be arrested, is waiting to see what the authorities have in store for him, but he could face charges of receiving stolen goods at the very least.
How Corona Got the Unwanted Spotlight
Denaro, known as the last mafia capo in Italy, was arrested in January after hiding for more than 30 years. He had evaded authorities since the 1980s. Corona had taken possession of a series of secret conversations between Denaro and some people he met at a cancer clinic where he was undergoing chemotherapy treatment. His stay at the clinic was when the police arrested Denaro.
When Corona revealed that he had copies of the conversations, the investigators realized there had been a breach. This led to a judge granting permission to put a wiretap on Corona's phone to try to find the source of the leak.
Both Randazzo and Pirollo's conversations were captured on the wiretaps, even though this was an unexpected catch for the investigators. In response, they received help from Pisto. The Spanish media outlet EFE reported that Pisto approached the police with information about the stolen documents after Corona contacted him.
Denaro in Prison
Denaro now resides in L'Aquila prison. He has tried to appeal his arrest and imprisonment but has so far failed. He was given a life sentence after his arrest in mid-January for the murder of numerous individuals, including the anti-Mafia advocates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992. Their deaths are considered among the most significant events in the fight against organized crime in Italy. The funeral of Borsellino found the president, parliament, and other political figures in attendance. Their deaths catalyzed a major part of the government reorganization against the Italian mafias.
The Caltanissetta Court of Appeal affirmed Denaro's life sentence on Wednesday, which coincides with the 31st anniversary of the bombing in Palermo that killed Borsellino and five of his security guards. Denaro was found guilty of other crimes, including the murder of the 12-year-old son of a fellow mafioso who went against the mob. The son was strangled and dissolved in acid in 1996.
In addition to the murders, Denaro was convicted of several bombings in cities across Italy that injured over 40 people and killed 10. These attacks targeted art and religious sites.
The mafia world is known for its brutality and ruthlessness with a long history of unspeakable crimes against innocent people, and convictions like Denaro's serve as constant reminders of the dark past. The audacity of Randazzo and Pirollo to engage in activities that furthered the mafia's interests is a stark example of the challenges law enforcement faces in combating these organized crime syndicates.
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Source: www.casino.org
