November 4, 2010
Italy

Arrests hit Sicily’s Cosa Nostra over alleged ties among mobsters, politicians and businessmen

By: The Associated Press, www.winnipegfreepress.com 3 November 2010

ROME – Police in Sicily say they have cracked down on cozy Cosa Nostra ties between mobsters and local politicians and businessmen, arresting 50 suspects and seizing hundreds of millions of euros in assets.

Carabinieri police on Wednesday arrested dozens of members of Sicilian Mafia clans in the Catania area as well as officials in regional, town and provincial government bodies.

Prosecutors alleged there were mutually beneficial ties between mobsters and local politicians and businesses when it came to assigning public works contracts in eastern Sicily.

Suspects were picked up on charges ranging from murder, extortion and holdups to interfering or infiltrating public contract bidding processes, including on wind-energy construction projects, a growing business across the Mediterranean island.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2010/11/04/arrests-hit-sicilys-cosa-nostra-over-alleged-ties-among-mobsters-politicians-and-businessmen/