Italy – ‘Ndrangheta

The verdicts began Monday afternoon in Italy’s biggest mafia trial for decades. By mid-afternoon, it became clear that more than 200 people had been found guilty and sentenced to between a few months and 30 years in prison. Among others, Giancarlo Pittelli – former Italian MP for Silvio Berlusconi’s party Forza Italia – was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The Pittelli case is among the most prominent, getting 11 years for collaborating with the mafia, according to AFP.
     In total, there were 322 defendants in the case. According to Sky News, some of the defendants who were not sentenced on Monday have previously been found guilty and convicted in a particularly fast-track trial. The remainder were acquitted on Monday.
     According to the Italian news agency Ansa, two clan leaders – Saverio Razionale and Domenico Bonavota – have each received 30 years in prison. They were leaders of the San Gregorio and Sant’Onofrio clans respectively. The cases targeted members and partners of the Calabrian clan-based ‘Ndrangheta mafia.  /ritzau/