Palermo judge dismisses charges in ‘Cuffaro system’ investigation

A judge in Palermo, Stefania Brambille, has dismissed remaining charges against 23 individuals involved in the investigation known as the ‘Cuffaro system’. The investigation previously targeted former Sicilian regional president Salvatore Cuffaro, along with various politicians, public officials, and entrepreneurs.

Among those whose charges were dismissed are regional deputy and Mayor of Ribera Carmelo Pace, entrepreneur Alessandro Vetro, and former regional parliamentarian Carmelo Pullara. The judge ruled that collected evidence does not allow for a reasonable prediction of conviction and that no further criminally relevant conduct emerged from the investigations.

The dismissal specifically concerns certain threads of the inquiry, such as allegations of criminal association involving Cuffaro, Pace, Antonio Abbonato, and Vito Raso. The court determined that personal and political relationships and mediation activities did not prove the existence of a stable criminal structure. Other aspects of the investigation, including issues regarding healthcare worker stabilization at Villa Sofia and service contracts in Syracuse, are subject to separate proceedings. Salvatore Cuffaro has already accepted a three-year plea bargain for corruption and influence peddling.