Palermo, Dec 12 - Massimo Ciancimino went back to the Palermo Appeal Court to request his release. He told the judges he was not involved in money laundering, the charges of which brought him to house arrest. The businessman will answer to these charges Friday before judge Giuseppe Sgadari. "Had I laundered money," Ciancimino said, "I would not have shown my riches. I would have hidden it, instead." The reference was to some luxury purchases: a "Scaglietti" Ferrari and an Itama yacht, costing hundreds of thousands of euros. The D.A. believes this proves the enormous liquidity available to Ciancimino, who they claim laundered the immense inheritance left by his father Vito, former Mayor of Palermo, who was found guilty for association with the Mafia and of corruption during the Sack of Palermo. The defendant claims otherwise: "I took from the Mignon Swiss account, that is, money which wasn't mine. I got the money as payment for my consultancy to companies dealing with the trading of natural gas. I did all this in full transparency. Had I had something to hide I would never have done so." His lawyers Giuliano Dominici, Roberto Mangano and Francesco Russo asked the Palermo Court for his release. Prosecuting magistrates Roberta Buzzolani and Michele Prestipino asked for him to be sent to prison. The Cassation Court will order a sentence on the matter tomorrow. (AGI) .
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