From the external competition to the mafia to corruption: all the accusations from the Palermo Prosecutor's Office against Salvatore Iacolino

A new storm over Sicilian Healthcare follows the latest investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Palermo that has engulfed Salvatore Iacolino, a former Member of the European Parliament for Forza Italia and, at the time of the alleged offenses, the general director of the Department of Strategic Planning of the Regional Health Department.

The search and seizure order against him suggests, among other things, complicity in mafia association and corruption, with the aggravating circumstance of having facilitated Cosa Nostra.

According to investigators, the core of the investigation concerns the relationship of “total availability” that Iacolino allegedly maintained with Carmelo Vetro, identified as an “honorable man” of the mafia family in Favara. Despite Vetro having already been convicted for mafia association and subjected to asset prevention measures, Salvatore Iacolino – according to the accusatory reconstruction – would have made his influence, a dense network of political contacts, and the powers connected to his top position in public health available, with the aim of supporting economic interests linked to Vetro (including the prospects of the company ANSA Ambiente) and to entrepreneurs close to him, thus contributing to the maintenance and strengthening of the consortium. In fact, in one case, he would have even acted as an intermediary to arrange a meeting between Vetro and Bernadette Grasso, a deputy member of the anti-mafia commission.  

The search and seizure order accuses Iacolino of crimes against the Public Administration, because, according to the prosecutors, exploiting his position, he would have systematically violated the principles of transparency, legality, impartiality, and good performance, preparing ad hoc acts and conveying confidential information on ongoing procedures.

Among the cited episodes are the pressures on the leadership of the Asp of Messina (and Iacolino had just been appointed to head the Policlinico di Messina), particularly on the general director Giuseppe Cuccì and the administrative director Giancarlo Niutta, to favor the regional accreditation of Arcobaleno Impresa Sociale s.r.l., linked to entrepreneur Giovanni Aveni, indicated by Carmelo Vetro; simultaneously, the revocation of accreditation for Anfild Onlus, whose representative had come into conflict with the Favara criminal-entrepreneurial group, would have been orchestrated.

Moreover, Iacolino, according to the Palermo Prosecutor's Office, also allegedly failed to report the anti-mafia bans provided for by the public contracts code, which should have precluded Vetro from any contracts, in light of his very serious criminal record.

In the accusatory framework, Iacolino is described as an institutional "bridge" capable of activating "reserved channels" between Cosa Nostra and the institutions. He allegedly facilitated meetings between Vetro and figures from politics and regional administration, including Salvatore Cocina, the general director of Civil Protection, and Bernardette Grasso, a regional deputy and, at the same time, vice president of the regional anti-mafia commission.

This illicit relationship, according to the Prosecutor's Office, was based on an explicit exchange of favors: in exchange for submission to mafia interests, Iacolino would have received funding for past electoral campaigns and the opportunity to place his own "designated" individuals in companies close to the boss. In a documented episode from the records, Iacolino even allegedly conveyed to Deputy Grasso a job offer proposed by the mobster, so that she could indicate names to be employed in Messina.

The Palermo prosecutors ordered thorough searches against Iacolino, extending to his person, vehicles, and his homes in Palermo and Agrigento, as well as the office at Piazza Ottavio Ziino at the Regional Health Department. They acquired potentially "manipulated" administrative files (particularly related to Arcobaleno and Anfild), computer devices, encrypted chats, and cash amounts considered possible proceeds of illegal activities, as well as documents, notes, and materials regarding the relationships between Iacolino, Carmelo Vetro, documents on personnel hiring procedures, deemed by investigators as bargaining chips, and also devices and computer supports (smartphones, tablets, pen drives, hard disks, computers) potentially containing files, chats, emails, or documents useful for investigations; cash of unjustified origin and notes or writings related to an "extra" accounting.