Centre-right Sicilian
regional deputy Cateno De Luca was acquitted Friday of charges
of attempted embezzlement, abuse of office and fraud. The
charges were linked to building contracts in the town of
Fiumedinisi, where he was mayor. He was arrested in June 2011.
De Luca said he would continue to "denounce this corruption".
On Wednesday De Luca was put under house arrest in relation to a
different case, of alleged tax evasion.
De Luca, a member of the centrist UCD party, was among 70
regional councillors elected to the Sicilian regional assembly
(ARS) in Sunday's election won by new centre-right Governor
Nello Musumeci.
Carmelo Satra, the president of small-business association
FENAPI, was also put under house arrest in an operation
conducted by Carabinieri and finance police to execute warrants
issued by Messina prosecutors.
Investigators suspect they were involved in a sophisticated
system to avoid direct and indirect taxes via false invoices.
The evasion alleged amounted to around 750,000 euros.
De Luca said he was confident the probe would end in nothing.
"I already knew that they would have arrested me... because
in certain environments they had warned me!" he said on
Facebook.
"I say that this case will end like the other 14 - with an
acquittal".
Musumeci said that he will take great care in selecting his
regional executive following the arrest.
"Someone did not follow my reiterated calls for prudence in
the composition of the (electoral) lists, but all the decisions
that depend on me will be based on this... starting with the
formation of the executive," he said.
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