Carabinieri police in the Sicilian
province of Siracusa on Friday arrested a dozen people in
relation to a probe into alleged Mafia vote-buying, extortion
and drugs felonies.
Ten of the suspects were taken to jail, while the other two were
put under house arrest.
The suspects include Giuseppe Sorbello, a former member of the
Sicilian regional executive and the former mayor of the town of
Melilli, near Siracusa.
They are accused of being linked to, or members of, the 'Nardo'
Mafia clan active in the north of the province of Siracusa and
considered to be part of the Catania-based 'Santapaola Ercolano'
Cosa Nostra crime family.
The clan allegedly used intimidation to gain direct or indirect
control of several businesses in the province of Siracusa,
especially in agriculture.
Sorbello is accused of accepting an agreement involving pledges
to work for the release from jail of a clan member's son and
money in exchange for votes ahead of local elections in 2022 in
Melilli.
The elections were won by the town's current mayor, Giuseppe
Carta, who is also a councillor in the Sicilian regional
assembly, with 75% of the vote.
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