Italian finance police on Wednesday
arrested seven business people for alleged mafia dealings in
post-earthquake reconstruction efforts on private residences in
L'Aquila.
The business people allegedly helped the Casalesi clan of
the Neapolitan Camorra mafia infiltrate rebuilding following the
devastating 2009 earthquake in the central region of Abruzzo
that killed 309 people, destroyed much of regional capital and
left tens of thousands homeless.
Four of the suspects were being taken in jail and three put
under house arrest.
The detainees are accused of extortion aggravated by mafia
methods, illicit intermediation and exploitation.
Finance police are also conducting dozens of seizures
related to the suspects in L'Aquila, Caserta and Rome.
The arrests follow five arrests last week in a corruption
probe related to the restoration of two important churches
wrecked by the earthquake.
Former deputy commissioner for reconstruction, Luciano
Marchetti, an official of the culture ministry, and his
colleague Alessandra Mancinelli, were arrested together with
three businessmen on suspicion of corruption, perjury,
bid-rigging, fraudulently influencing public officials and
issuing and using non-existent invoices.
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