In a historic verdict, an Italian court in Vibo Valentia convicted over 200 members of the notorious 'Ndrangheta mafia, culminating in a nearly three-year trial.
President of the court, Brigida Cavasino, spent over an hour and a half reading out the names and sentences, ranging from 30 years to a few months. Defendants, located in prisons across the country, watched the proceedings via videolink.
Prosecutors sought almost 5,000 years for 322 accused mafia members and their collaborators, but the court handed down a collective sentence of about 2,150 years for 207 defendants on Monday. Notably, former parliamentarian and defense lawyer Giancarlo Pittelli received 11 years, below the requested 17 years.
The three-judge panel acquitted 131 defendants, including one accused of controlling mafia activities in prison and another linked to seizing public roads for grazing sheep. The trial marked Italy's largest mafia trial in decades, dealing a significant blow to one of the world's most powerful organized crime syndicates.
Giuseppe Borrello of anti-mafia association Libera expressed optimism, stating, "The road is still long but it's been charted out, that's the most important thing." The verdict, despite some acquittals, signals a significant step in combating the 'Ndrangheta's influence and dismantling its sense of impunity.
The 'Ndrangheta, originally rooted in Calabria, has expanded globally, monopolizing the European cocaine trade and operating in over 40 countries. The trial exposed the group's brutal tactics, including violent ambushes, extortion, rigged tenders, and political corruption.
For the first time, the trial included non-mafia members, such as police and public servants. A high-ranking member of the financial police received a 10-year sentence for passing details to the 'Ndrangheta, highlighting the mafia's infiltration into public institutions.
The trial revealed how the 'Ndrangheta suffocated the local economy, infiltrated public institutions, and terrorized the population for decades. Informants disclosed hidden weapons, drug transportation using ambulances, and diversion of municipal water supplies for illegal activities.
As the sentencing unfolded in the heavily secured courtroom bunker in Lamezia Terme, it marked a pivotal moment in the fight against the 'Ndrangheta. Despite the challenges, the conviction represents a significant step forward in dismantling the criminal organization's influence and bringing justice to its victims.
