The president of a local bank
in Calabria, a leading Rome-based doctor and a prominent local
businessman were arrested Wednesday in an operation against the
Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta mafia.
The operation focuses on how the 'Ndrangheta's Grande Aaracri
clan influenced the business of the council of the town of
Cutro.
Those arrested are Ottavio Rizzuto, president of the Banca di
Credito Cooperativo del Crotonese, and former manager, from 2007
to 2015, of the Cutro council's technical area; Alfonso Sesito,
a cardiologist at Rome's Policlinico Gemelli Hospital; and
businessman Rosario Le Rose.
The trio are accused of mafia association, extortion, abuse
of office, influence peddling, failing to report crimes by a
public officer, illegal access to computer systems, all crimes
aggravated by mafia methods.
Catanzaro prosecutors said "investigations have enabled us to
state that over the years the 'Ndrangheta clan led by Nicola
Grande Aracri exercised its influence on the council of Cutro,
in fact managing extremely numerous contracts and deriving
direct and conspicuous economic benefit from that.
It said Rizzuto, the bank chief and former council manager,
was a "central figure in this criminal metastasis".
It said police carried out several raids of the local bank
and council offices.
The probe enabled prosecutors to shed light on how Rizzuto
favoured and helped the 'Ndrangheta clan in getting hold of
council contracts.
It said Le Rose, the businessman, was another key figure.
Sesito, the cardiologist, also "exerted considerable
influence" in the case, the investigators said.
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