Being posted on November 21, 2023, with a last update also on the same date, at 08:33h, a former Italian senator, an ex-police chief, a former mayor, and two former regional councilors were among 207 defendants sentenced Monday. This involved Italy’s largest Mafia trial since the 1980s where individuals allegedly related to the country’s most powerful Mafia organization, the ‘Ndrangheta, were found guilty of various criminal activities. The trial was held in a converted call center in the town of Lamezia Terme in the Calabria region, and an all-female panel of judges presided over the case. These proceedings took place in a makeshift high-security courtroom, specially designed for this high-profile case. This marked a significant step forward as the ‘Ndrangheta has become the most powerful criminal organization in Italy and globally. This is evident by its presence in more than 100 countries and estimated revenues of $50 billion to $100 billion per year. The judges, who had been deliberating the case since the trial ended in October, took one hour and 40 minutes to read out the sentences, which totaled more than 2,200 years in prison. Key figures like Giancarlo Pittelli, Domenico Tomaino, Francesco Barbieri, and Vincenzo Barba, were among those sentenced. All in all, the impact of the convictions on ‘Ndrangheta-affiliated official, businessmen, and politicians indicates a significant infiltration into Italy’s legitimate economy and government institutions.



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