200 Top Italian Mafia Jailed 2,000 Years
More than 200 defendants in one of Italian biggest mafia trials for generations have been sentenced to a total of more than 2,200 years in jail.
The three-year trial saw individuals allegedly linked to the ‘Ndrangheta sentenced for crimes ranging from extortion to drug trafficking.
Those sentenced included a former Italian Senator, though the verdicts can still be appealed.
The ‘Ndrangheta is one of Europe’s most influential criminal organizations.
Among the most notable people to be sentenced was Giancarlo Pittelli, a lawyer and former senator for ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi‘s party Forza Italia.
Pittelli received an 11-year sentence for collusion with a mafia-type organization.
Read Also:
Bricklayer Jailed For Life for Raping 13 Year Old Girl in Lagos
Others convicted included civil servants, professionals across various industries and high-ranking officials, who were critical to the ‘Ndrangheta’s success in infiltrating the legitimate economy and state institutions.
More than 100 defendants were acquitted.
The judges presiding over the case were put under police protection over fears for their safety.
The trial was held in a call centre on the outskirts of the town of Lamezia Terme, converted into a high-security courtroom equipped with cages to hold the defendants and large enough to hold some 600 lawyers and 900 witnesses.
