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Pretrial detention restored
Giuseppe 'Enzo' Mangion, a well-known boss of the 'Santapaola' mafia family of Catania, will remain in prison. The first section of the Court of Appeal of Catania, presided over by Sebastiano Mignemi, has accepted a request from deputy prosecutors Nicolò Marino and Andrea Ursino, reinstating the precautionary measure of detention in prison. This decision was taken following a report from the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate (DIA) and the joint judicial police unit of the Attorney General's Office.
The context of the conviction
Mangion, son of Francesco, a deceased man of honor and trusted lieutenant of mafia boss Benedetto Santapaola, had been the recipient of a precautionary detention order in 2019 as part of Operation Samael. His conviction, upheld in 2022, carries a sentence of 19 years and 3 months in prison for mafia association, with a final verdict dating back to 2009. The Court noted that the precautionary detention order would have expired today, but deemed it necessary to reinstate it.
The risk of escape and illicit communications
According to the Court of Appeal, there are still serious indications of guilt against Mangion, who is considered a flight risk. The judges highlighted his leading role within the mafia family and the economic management of illicit business. Furthermore, it emerged that Mangion could receive instructions from his brother-in-law Aldo Ercolano, currently head of the mafia organization, and that there are risks of illicit communications through conversations with his sister Francesca. The Court therefore considered that the precautionary needs have not weakened and that detention in prison is necessary to guarantee the safety and integrity of the investigation.